Browser maker Opera has been teasing a new project called R3 or “Reborn3.” The new project is now available as a beta version — and it’s a brand new design for the company’s desktop browser.
For now, the new design is only available in the developer version of Opera — but that doesn’t mean we can’t talk about it.
The main difference with this new version is that the sidebar and tab bar are now the same color. The sidebar no longer stands out as a black bar with a bunch of buttons. It feels like those buttons are part of the browser instead of an afterthought.
The webpage, active tab and address bar are now a single element. It’s quite visible when you visit a website with a white background and you’re using the light theme. There are subtle shadows that make this unit of content stand out from the rest of the browser.
It’s getting a bit crowded in the top-right corner with a snapshot button, a bookmarking button, a “My Flow” button to find your current page across all your devices, etc. Fortunately those buttons don’t take a lot of space and remain discreet.
The company has integrated a cryptocurrency wallet into its mobile browsers, and you’ll now be able to access those wallets from the desktop app as well. It works pretty much like WhatsApp on the desktop. Opera displays a QR code that you scan with your phone. Everything happens on your phone, but the desktop browser acts as an interface for your mobile wallet.
The Windows version of the browser looks exactly like the macOS version, but with standard Windows buttons in the corner.
