Tech Tutorial: Installing Opera Mini on the LG840G

Opera Mini is a portable version of the Opera desktop web browser designed to run on mobile devices. In this tech tutorial, we're going to spruce up the LG840G Tracfone (full review to follow) with a browser upgrade, making the phone's 3G/wi-fi connectivity a bit more practical to use. We'll also disable the annoying Java keypad, which, by default, takes up half the screen and just gets in the way.

Keep in mind that even with this upgrade, browsing on the 840G is far from ideal. It works well for what it is, but isn't a replacement for a tablet or other 'true' mobile device. Opera runs fine, but does lag a bit.

I've found that the easiest way to get Opera up and running is to download it on a desktop PC, edit the config file to disable the keypad, and then transfer the file to your phone.

Part 1: Download & Modify the Opera Mini installer

• On a desktop PC, go to the Opera website and download the latest version of the browser (at the time of this writing, version 7.1). The installer will be a .jar file archive/executable.

• Now it's time to disable the Java keypad. Open the archive using your favorite zip file extractor, such as 7-Zip. Assuming you're using 7-Zip, right click > 7-Zip > Open Archive.

• Locate the META-INF folder and double click on it. Within the folder, right click on the file META-MF > Edit. The META-MF file will open in your default text editor, such as Notepad.

• Copy and paste the following below the existing lines of code:
• Nokia-MIDlet-No-Exit: true
  Nokia-MIDlet-On-Screen-Keypad: no
  Navi-Key-Hidden: true
  UseNativeTextButtons: hide
  ReverseSoftkeys: hide
  UseNativeCommands: hide
  MIDlet-Touch-Support: true
  MIDlet-ScreenMode: ROTATE
  MIDlet-Landscape-Support: true
  LGE-MIDlet-Width: 240
  LGE-MIDlet-Height: 400
  LGE-MIDlet-On-Screen-Keypad: no
  LGE-MIDlet-Display-Mode: both

• Click File > Save and then close the window.

• 7-Zip will ask if you wish to modify the archive with your changes. Click 'Yes' and close the 7-Zip window.

Part 2: Install Opera Mini on the 840G

• Connect the 840G to your computer using a standard micro-USB data cable (keep in mind that a micro-SD card must be installed to do this). 

• The phone will ask you if you wand to 'connect as mass storage'. Tap 'OK'. The phone will now display 'Connected as Mass Storage Mode'.

• On your PC, locate your phone under 'Computer' or  'My Computer' -- it will show up as a removable storage device.

• Copy the modified Opera Mini installer to your phone's memory. Note it does not have to be placed in any of the existing folders.

• On the phone, tap 'Exit' and then disconnect the cable. The phone will display 'waiting' until cable is unplugged.

• Open the 840G's File Manager (found on the second page of the apps tray) and locate the Opera installer under the memory card tab. Tap to launch.

• The phone will display 'Untrusted Midlet'. Tap 'Continue'.

• At the next screen (displaying information about Opera Mini), click 'Download' to begin the installation.

• Opera Mini will then install, which should only take a few seconds. At the 'Download Completed' window, tap 'Launch Now' (if your wireless is not enabled, the phone will automatically connect via 3G and use airtime).

• Opera Mini, sans the Java keypad, can now be found under 'Games & Apps'. For quick access, add 'Games & Apps' to your shortcuts home screen (unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be a way to make a dedicated shortcut).

With a few other adjustments (such as setting the browser to both landscape and fullscreen modes), Opera Mini works well on the 840G for basic web access. I mainly use it to check email since the phone's built-in client doesn't seem to work. My only real complaint is the on-screen keyboard has very small buttons, making typing anything quite tedious. My suggestion: take advantage of bookmarks.

Interested in installing other Java-based apps? It's as simple as downloading the file on your PC and copying it to the phone's memory (or downloading the app on the phone itself). Then, simply launch the installer. Any installed apps will appear under 'Games & Apps'.

I hope you've found this quick tutorial useful in getting Opera Mini setup on your LG840G Tracfone. Happy web browsing!