New post Need visibility? Apply for a FREE post for your Startup.  Apply Here

MobileNews

Opera Launches Hype – Its African Inspired Chat Services, in Kenya

2 Mins read

Norwegian-owned internet company, Opera, has announced that it is launching a new chat service which it calls Hype. Hype is built into the company’s mobile web browser, Opera Mini.

Opera, with the integration of Hype in its mobile browser, is rethinking the concept of browsers by providing its users with an engaging browsing experience that includes chatting and content sharing.

Commenting on the introduction of Hype to the public, Charles Hamel, Product Lead for Hype, said that:

Chat services and browsers are apps people use every day and feel very personal about. With the integration of Hype in Opera Mini, we are not only rethinking what a chat service should be like in 2021, but also changing the very definition of what a mobile browser should be.”

Opera added that Hype would be launched first in Kenya, as a pilot market, before its services are extended to other parts of the continent.

After the launch of Hype in Kenya today, the internet company noted that users would be able to set up their Hype account, and start chatting. The company added that conversations on Hype is protected with end-to-end encryption technology.

The company noted that the launch of Hype is a facet of Opera’s emphasis on growing its digital ecosystem in Africa, with the goal of bringing more people online.

Hype was developed first and foremost with African consumers in mind. Today, 40% of the Kenyan population have access to smartphones, with younger generations dominating as 75% of their 47 million inhabitants are under 30 years old,” Hamel said.

Speaking further, Hamel added that:

With such early adopter demographics at play, there is massive potential for the growth of Hype in Kenya. On top of that, we are also partnering with the leading telecommunication carriers in the country, offering daily free browsing to all Opera Mini users. We believe the combination of these factors will lead to the rapid adoption of Hype in the country.”

Read also: WhatsApp Says It Is Not Changing Its Privacy Policy; Introduces in-app Banner To Explain Policy

Opera pitches Hype as the first African inspired chat service built into a mobile browser. Hype product lead, Hamel, confirms that Hype would offers its users a series of stickers created by Kenyan artists.

We are extremely happy to celebrate African culture with Hype and we are very excited with the end result and the collaboration we had with Brian and Lulu. These unique stickers with original designs are something we are very proud of at Opera as we become the first major browser to integrate real African art and pop culture into our products.”

Don’t miss any tech news ever!

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

792 posts

About author
When I'm not reading about tech, I'm writing about it, or thinking about the next weird food combinations to try. I do all these with my headphones plugged in, and a sticky note on my computer with the words: "The galaxy needs saving, Star Lord."
Articles
Related posts
News

Tesla's Optimus Heads for Market: Robots for Sale by End of 2025, Says Musk

2 Mins read
The future of robotics might be arriving sooner than expected. Elon Musk, the ever-optimistic CEO of Tesla, has announced that Tesla’s humanoid…
News

Android 15 could come with a feature that Prevent Users From Sharing Sensitive Details While Screen-sharing

2 Mins read
Sharing your phone screen can be a helpful way to collaborate or demonstrate something on your device. However, there’s always a risk…
News

WeCare secures $350,000 to propel ethical, sustainable lab-grown diamonds

2 Mins read
The search and mining of diamonds have been one of the causes of major armed conflicts in mining communities around the world,…
Newsletter Subscription

🤞 Don’t miss any update!

We don’t spam! Read more in our privacy policy

Join our Telegram channel here - t.me/TechpadiAfrica

Leave a Reply