Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Software, Apple, iPhone
Flash coming to the iPhone, if Adobe has anything to say about it
The rumors are apparently true, after a fashion -- despite reports of Jobs' opposition to the idea, Adobe has told the Wall Street Journal that after reviewing the iPhone's SDK, their CEO says they can bring Flash to the device all by themselves. It'll be super interesting to see if Adobe tries to make an end run around Apple to get their platform on the iPhone via the SDK, or if Apple cooperates to let them do it (Flash, for all of its foibles, is definitely a big part of the current internet).But at this point it seems like Adobe is dead set on getting Flash on the iPhone whether Apple consents or not. We'll watch this one as it develops obviously -- by the time the rest of the SDK-driven apps come around in June, browsing Flash sites might be the last thing on everyone's minds.
[Via Engadget]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
supersocialist said 10:16AM on 3-19-2008
This is GREAT news! There are a ton of Flash games I'd love to have on my iPhone. The competition from free Flash games is likely the real reason Apple doesn't want to see Flash on the iPhone.
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Chris Coleman said 11:51AM on 7-02-2008
What competition?
supersocialist said 10:31AM on 3-19-2008
The App Store will be selling, in part, native ports of web-based Flash games. If they can be run through Safari, there's going to be a lot less incentive to port.
brian said 10:40AM on 3-19-2008
What Flash games can you play without accurate drag-and-drop and without accurate keyboarding? And even if you work out that issue (and many others), most games are authored larger than the iPhone's physical resolution of 320x480. So they'll either be scaled down, or you'll have to pan and zoom, which brings another set of issues. Flash games could be created that would work, but I can't think of any *existing* ones that would.
Chris Coleman said 10:16AM on 3-19-2008
This is going to be tricky, since they can's have it run in the background, and I'm guessing there's no plugin architecture for Mobile Safari.
What about this: Could Adobe possibly make an entirely new browser that has native Flash support and uses WebKit? I've got to assume that WebKit is available for them to use, right?
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matthew said 10:20AM on 3-19-2008
They can't end-run around Apple no matter what. Either they partner with Apple to do it or Apple has to approve it for the App Store. It seems like they're just trying to put public pressure on Apple to work with them or at least not stand in their way. But that said, unless they are able to get this to work as a plug-in for Safari or have it handle embedded Flash content from Safari by launching a separate app (ala the handling of embedded QuickTime), they're going to need to build a standalone browser, which I think would be really silly. And I see no way in hell that Apple will allow a browser war on the iPhone/iPod Touch.
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aj_robins said 5:28PM on 3-19-2008
Agreed.
I think a bigger obstacle for Adobe is that flash/shockwave is sometimes used to deliver internet music, and Apple now explicitly appears to be banning such apps for the iPhone. Right now, I think "hardware performance" is merely an excuse, and "preserving iTunes income" is a much bigger driving factor.
Kento Ito said 10:26AM on 3-19-2008
don't let your hopes excited too soon.
Apple might be rejecting this app to be on the App store, just like all the other apps that were rejected last week
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rdas7 said 11:02AM on 3-19-2008
Um, I think you're missing the bigger issue here that Flash performance on the iPhone is well below acceptable levels. Just think of all those banner ads running at 3fps...
Jobs' comment was specifically that the Flash runtime for desktop was too heavy for the iPhone, and Adobe's Flash Lite wasn't feature rich enough (it was designed for older generation phones).
The thing keeping Flash off iPhone isn't Steve Jobs' whim, or Adobe secretly plotting and "end run" around Apple (ZOMG! Apple didn't see it coming! Haxxorz of the world unite!) but rather that the hardware just isn't there yet. But if you're in for a conspiracy here you go: I heard Steve Jobs runs Flash on his iPhone just to spite everyone.
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Russell said 11:26AM on 3-19-2008
What about the part where you aren't allowed to run interpreted code? This can't be done within the (artificial) limits of the SDK, they'll have to get a special exemption from Apple.
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RobK said 11:29AM on 3-19-2008
Apple is trying to convince iPhone users that giving up their freedom to install any software they want on hardware they bought will improve security. This is completely false in my view.
Apple is using DRM for their own economic gain. They want to control what types of apps, third party developers can put on the iPhone and what apps Apple wants to maintain a monopoly over.
Apple also want a "cut" in the action for each Third Party app sold. The new DRM on iPhone apps is all about making more money for Apple.
If Adobe can get flash to work on the iPhone by just using the SDK, it will be interesting if Apple will allow it. I suspect Apple will not and you will see the REAL reason why Apple has implemented this DRM system for installing third party software on the iPhone.
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stevensnewest said 11:51AM on 3-19-2008
OH MY GOD FINALLY!!
once this is released, bye bye windows! :D
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Blaktornado said 12:00PM on 3-19-2008
Good! Apple can't refuse. Apple needs Adobe and the last thing they'll want to do is piss them off.
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Ryan said 12:03PM on 3-19-2008
Instead of working on something that might not work, why don't they work on getting Shockwave ported to Intel, so that we don't have to run Rosetta to get Shockwave?
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TOM said 12:55PM on 3-19-2008
Scaling desktop sized Flash Content down to fit an iphone would make everything look terrible.
They have their work cut out for them.
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Jeremy said 12:59PM on 3-19-2008
I think you left something out of that one sentence.
Flash is a big, ENTIRELY NEGATIVE part of the current internet, WITH NO REDEEMING VALUE WHATSOEVER.
On the desktop, you can just remove the stupid plugin to make the web usable again. On the iPhone or iPod, you don't have that luxury. Let's keep this crap off there!
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Joseph said 1:19PM on 3-19-2008
@RobK: I'd agree with you, except that the terms are there out in the open. While I certainly am of the opinion that I ought to be able to do whatever I want to with a device I purchased, Apple is well within its legal rights to make up any limits they want. It's up to the consumer to determine whether or not those terms live up to any particular standard.
While I tend to dislike Flash on the whole, I think Adobe's right in at the very least trying to make it happen. The only people I really see bitching about not having Flash on the iPhone are Flash developers; most people simply don't care. The only time it bugs me is when I'm surfing Digg on my iPhone and stumble onto a video site where the video is implemented in Flash.
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Bryan said 1:56PM on 3-19-2008
Flash is the first thing on my mind! I can't wait, excellent!
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CZW said 2:15PM on 3-19-2008
If the supposed Flash plugin is anything like the one I've had to endure on Tiger & Leopard it won't be going anywhere near my iPhone. I've lost track of the times Safari has crashed blaming the Flash plugin.
I'm definitely in the 'Not on my iPhone!' camp.
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Austin said 2:51PM on 3-19-2008
Good luck playing games w/o the arrow keys.
think about how many games require that?
pretty much all of them.
but hey you want an unstable device, go for it.
im keepin it off my ipod.
i have a feeling the only way it will be half way decent is if they do go through apple,which of course means wed pay for it
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