Opera desktop browser gets power saving mode, claims 50% more battery life

Opera has released a new dedicated power-saving mode for its web browser. The feature is currently available in the developer version of the browser Opera developer 39, and the company claims that the the power-saving mode can boost the batter backup of a Windows laptop by up to 50 percent as compared to Google Chrome.

“This is designed to extend laptop battery life by up to 50% compared with Google Chrome or older version of Opera. Depending on your type of hardware, it can mean several hours more browsing before you need to recharge your laptop,” said Opera.

Opera says it was able to do so by using a number of tweaks, including pausing unused plug-in, optimizing video playback, and reducing memory consumption of background tabs.

Under-the-hood optimizations for power saving mode includes:
Reduced activity in background tabs
Waking CPU less often due to more optimal scheduling of JavaScript timers
Automatically pausing unused plug-ins
Reduced frame rate to 30 frames per second
Tuning video-playback parameters and forcing usage of hardware accelerated video codecs
Paused animations of browser themes 

To activate the power saving mode on Opera browser, click on the battery icon that appears on the top right corner of the browser. The icon is only visible when the laptop charging cable is unplugged.

The developer version of Opera browser for desktops for Windows, Mac and Linux can be downloaded from the Opera website.