One of the come-ons for the Android operating system is support Adobe Flash, much to the delight of people who love playing Farmville on Facebook. Adobe Flash support is one factor that makes people decide to get an Android smartphone or tablet instead of an Apple device. But with the upcoming Ice Cream Sandwich, the newest version of the Android mobile OS, Flash won’t be included yet.
Google has confirmed that Flash will not be released alongside Ice Cream Sandwich but the company has assured users that Adobe will eventually “support Flash†for the new OS in the future. Google is asking Ice Cream Sandwich users to just install current or older versions of Adobe Flash on their devices for the time being.
Development of a new Flash version for Ice Cream Sandwich could be significantly delayed at best or just not going to happen at worst. Just a week ago, Adobe confirmed that it will be stopping development for Flash for mobile browsers and will instead refocus all of its efforts on HTML 5 development, which is the new emerging standard for the web. HTML 5 offers the same functionalities as Adobe Flash but without having to use any of Adobe’s proprietary technologies. The late Steve Jobs was notoriously vocal about his contempt for Flash and support for HTML 5, so much so that Flash did not come installed in any of Apple’s devices.
The delay in implementing Flash for Ice Cream Sandwich could be one of those signs that Flash is indeed on the way out in the world of mobile computing and devices.
Originally posted on November 21, 2011 @ 12:26 pm
thanks for share!