Sign up for a new account or log in here:
also @ TechSpot: Asus' new lineup of Z87 Haswell motherboards revealed
Flash support is set to end on Android after Adobe announced on its official blog that it has no plans to release a certified Flash build for Google's imminent Android 4.1 Jelly Bean mobile OS. What's more, the company actually plans to stop handset owners from downloading it from the Google Play app store altogether beginning mid-August.
The move follows an announcement last November in which Adobe openly said it wanted to ditch mobile Flash in favor of HTML5, as the software giant considered that to be the best solution for browsers across different smartphone platforms.
As of August 15 Flash will no longer be available on Google Play for any version of Android, although the Photoshop creator did say it would continue to offer updates for those that have ICS or older versions and have it installed after the deadline.
"The Flash Player browser plug-in integrates tightly with a device’s browser and multimedia subsystems (in ways that typical apps do not), and this necessitates integration by our device ecosystem partners," Adobe wrote.
There will be no Jelly Bean support whatsoever, and Adobe even went as far as to say those updating from ICS should remove Flash prior to downloading and installing Jelly Bean due to a chance it "may exhibit unpredictable behavior, as it is not certified for use with Android 4.1."
It is also worth pointing out that Apple famously refused to have Flash available on iOS, although it remains to be seen what sort of effect it will have on new devices due for launch running the latest Android OS, like Google and Asus' Nexus 7 tablet.
We'd love to hear your thoughts on this: Do you think the lack of Flash on devices running Android's Jelly Bean will make a significant difference for those using them?
Related Products from Product Finder
Samsung Galaxy S III GT-I9300
The Galaxy S III display is a 4.8-inch HD Super AMOLED screen featuring 720p (720 x 1280 pixel) resolution and a 306ppi pixel density. Is the Galaxy S III a worthy successor to the venerable Galaxy S II and does it help keep Samsung ahead of its rivals? In a word, yes.
Samsung Galaxy Note GT-N7000
The Samsung Galaxy Note measures 147mm (5.78in) tall and 83mm (3.27in) across, which means that it feels absolutely massive when held in the hand. However, despite its large dimensions, the Note remains very thin at only 9.7mm (0.38in) thick. Samsung has equipped the Galaxy Note with impressive internal hardware: a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, and 16GB of internal storage (with just under 13GB available to the user). It comes with Android 2.3.6 Gingerbread and Samsung's TouchWiz interface.
Motorola Xoom 2
Read expert reviews, pros & cons, and product information about Motorola Xoom 2. There are 70 reviews available so far.
Samsung SPH-D720 Nexus S 4G
Read expert reviews, pros & cons, and product information about Samsung SPH-D720 Nexus S 4G. There are 17 reviews available so far.
User Comments: 13
Got something to say? Post a comment-
dcnc123 said:
No way... anyway HTML5 is much much better than flash
-
Looks like Jobs was right after all? Flash will eventually die out in favor of HTML5. Windows phone users are next.
-
Windows Phone will never support Flash. Not because it can't, but because it's not worth it.
-
Opus said:
That's kinda sad for flash. I remember myself creating swf movies. It is not that bad (sorta overloaded by adobe). But, in favor of HTML 5 I'll be happy to let it go.
-
I personally would love to see flash go by the wayside. I only wish content providers would hurry up and switch over to HTML5. There are several sites I visit at least weekly that are stubbornly committed to buggy flash.
-
Wish it would leave on the desktop side too. In both Win 7 and OS X I often see "the plugin has crashed" in Opera 12. Maybe its just Opera, or Opera 12, but I've had issues with Flash before, just now the browser reports it rather than hanging.
-
I backed up my Adobe Flashplayer.apk today just in case I still want it after August 15.
-
^Job's may have said that, but he said it at a time it was still the number one choice.
-
That's kinda sad for flash. I remember myself creating swf movies. It is not that bad (sorta overloaded by adobe). But, in favor of HTML 5 I'll be happy to let it go.
The cartoon, Bob's Burgers, is made entirely with flash so it is definitely not a useless or defunct product...
-
That's the way the cookie crumbles I guess. I can't say that Flash is worse than HTML5 or vice versa because I don't know enough about either. I can tell you that I have seen some AMAZING sites created with Flash. Meaning, in my eyes, Flash can be used really well in the right hands. I'm sure the same can be said for Silverlight and HTML5.
-
What ?!!
Why should I continue using my Android phone if it is not going to support flash anymore?
Thanks Adobe, you are forcing me going back to iPhone.
-
Opus said:What ?!!
Why should I continue using my Android phone if it is not going to support flash anymore?
Thanks Adobe, you are forcing me going back to iPhone.
And how exactly Adobe is pushing you back to iPhone? HTML5 has potential though developers are still struggling with it due to the slow transition to modern browsers.
Well I still can't get the idea of iPhone (It's costly for the level of hardware and same goes for RIM). There was a time when Apple revolutionized the smart phone concept, especially with the unveiling of iPhone 3G. But after that stunning product, iPhone 4S has partly lost the charisma. In my point of view, Apple has applied too many restrictions to the software that's not the choice for the explorer sort of people. It gives me the feeling of owning a device with hands still tied. Damn I paid the money for device including software and hardware, why can't I change even the default browser without the help of jailbreaking. Opensource software is the only answer to that.
-
That are exactly the reasons that pushed me to move from iPhone 4 to Android 4, but all of them were fake!
Android is not anything about hardware, it is only an OS on crappy hardware manufacturers.
Apple is both high quality hardware and software, something I ignored!
1) Hardware quality? Samsung Galaxy nexus is a piece of crap. crashed every week, I have to reboot it. How? after waking up, I have to remove the battery to reboot. Isn't it crap? Never happened during 2 years of working with iPhone!
2) Flash support? Not anymore after upgrading to Android 4.1!
3) Amazing Firefox? No flash support on Android, until now, after the last version!
4) HTML5? it is supported on both iOS and Android.
Now tell me why should I stick to Android, when I have everything there...
Most Popular
| Trending | Featured |
-
Microsoft launches YouTube app, Google demands it taken down
-
Nvidia Shield arrives in June for $349, pre-orders open now (update)
-
Bill Gates is once again the richest person in the world
-
Asus' new lineup of Z87 Haswell motherboards revealed
-
Google, NASA join forces to build quantum computing laboratory
Subscribe to TechSpot
Get free exclusive content, learn about new features and breaking tech news.