Opera Mini heads to Virgin Mobile

Virgin Mobile announced today that beginning on April 14, Opera Mini 4.2 will be available as a free download for prepaid customers in the VirginXL store, and that a number of future devices will ship with the browser pre-installed.

Opera said that customers with the Samsung Slash, or the UTSTARCOM Super Slice, Shuttle, and Arc will all have access to the new browser.

Though mobile handsets have shipped with Opera Mini and Mobile since 2003, the former joint venture of Earthlink and SK Telecom, Helio was actually the first US mobile carrier to forge a working partnership with the Norwegian browser company.

Since Helio was acquired by Virgin Mobile last summer, the company which was aimed at a more tech-savy crowd has had a balancing effect on the MVNO with the "young rock star" appeal. Helio became the arm that only operated on contract, and Virgin remained pay-as-you-go.