Sam OliverFlash 10.1 is expected to be available as a public beta for Google Android and Nokia's Symbian OS in early 2010. Developer betas of the browser-based runtime will be available for Windows Mobile and Palm webOS later this year. No date was given for BlackBerry devices.
Adobe said that the new mobile version of Flash offers accelerated video and graphics capabilities while conserving battery life. The new player offers streaming video in HD and browser-based Web applications.
"With Flash Player moving to new mobile platforms, users will be able to experience virtually all Flash technology based Web content and applications wherever they are," said David Wadhwani, general manager and vice president, Platform Business Unit at Adobe. "We are excited about the broad collaboration of close to 50 industry leaders in the Open Screen Project and the ongoing collaboration with 19 out of the top 20 handset manufacturers worldwide. It will be great to see first devices ship with full Flash Player in the first half of next year."
Of course, the elusive twentieth manufacturer missing from Adobe's lineup is Apple.
Though the iPhone is not included among the handsets, past reports have suggested that Adobe hopes to bring it to the platform. If that were to happen, though, Flash would have to overcome its various shortcomings on mobile devices as perceived by Apple co-founder Steve Jobs.
With Flash 10.1, Adobe aims to have cross-compatibility with PCs, smartphones, netbooks and a range of devices with various screen sizes. The effort is a part of the company's Open Screen Project initiative, which includes more than 50 companies.
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223 Comments
Oh well, never mind, I certainly wont shed a tear.
How many of these implementations are going to suck arse IRL, and how much of the content will be designed for "spiffy" ESPN-style Flash ads (vs content anyone would, you know, want to see)?
Fake apologies for all you guys who "develop" Flash content for a living, but I'm thrilled to be on the 1-in-20 platform that won't support battery-killing Flash-trash ads.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, Adobe should be made to deliver a version of Flash that actually performs on the OS X platform before being allowed to move on to the iPhone OS.
At least the Android, etc. crowd will get the eventual option of some sort of Flashblock; I suspect Mobile Windows users will be hosed, as usual.
Much as I love my iPhone, it's beginning to look a little old to me. The lack of flash is a big part of that, as mobile browsing isn't all that useful when you end up seeing an awful lot of those 'no flash plug in' icons on web pages.
I'm also growing increasingly impatient over Apple's inability to support multi-tasking on the iPhone. It would be incredibly useful to be able to have Spotify or other web radio/streaming aps running in the background while I email, browse, use google maps etc. And I'd like Twitter, IM, and other gadgets running all the time on the home screen, instead of having to launch them, then quit them, then launch them, then quit them etc etc.
The iPhone is a good device but one which is beginning to fall behind other smart phone OSs, and if I was Apple I would be working hard to get Flash, and other expected modern technologies working sooner rather than later.
I hope Flash never comes to the iPhone because Flash is a steaming pile of crap and it is obviated by HTML5.
I hope Flash never comes to the iPhone because Flash is a steaming pile of crap and it obviated by HTML5.
I agree, it causes so many issues on the mac.
Btw: NonVendorFan will love this article, since it gives him more fuel to rant about how good Flash is because majority of BIG smartphone makers/smartphone operating system providers are going to use Flash in their content.
Quantity does not always mean quality!