As things currently stand, if you use an Android smartphone your only way to use the Opera browser is by downloading Opera Mini. That's not particularly desirable, because Opera Mini only renders 'mobile' versions of webpages. When you have access to the full Internet, mobile sites aren't particularly attractive. Thankfully, according to AppScout, Android users will soon be able to download a full Opera app.

In a recent interview, Opera CEO Jon von Tetzchner confirmed that a version of the Opera browser for Google Android was in development. We still don't know when this app will be out, but at least we know it's under development. The default WebKit-based browser for Android is pretty solid, but it's prone to occasional crashes and it could definitely be faster.

Opera makes a very good browser, as any WinMobile or Symbian phone owners who've gotten fed up with IE can tell you. I'm looking forward to seeing if Opera can bring a better browser experience to the Android platform.