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Matthew Miller & Joel Evans
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Will the Android Market suddenly see an influx of Flash-based apps?

By | April 21, 2010, 4:07pm PDT

Summary: Apple won’t let Flash apps in but Google will. Could this be the shot in the arm that the Android Market needs?

It’s no secret that Apple and Adobe have had their differences. They started with the iPhone’s inability to support Flash and then escalated with Apple changing its iPhone developer program license to restrict applications built with technologies outside of the Apple SDK, including Adobe’s own Flash CS5. If you’re not familiar with Flash CS5, of particular note is that it offers the ability for Flash developers to target the iPhone and iPad and have their apps run on those platforms.

It was unknown what Adobe would do next … until yesterday. That’s when Mike Chambers, Adobe’s principal product manager for the Flash platform, blogged Adobe’s decision to no longer invest in the ability for its Flash CS5 product to target iPhone or iPad:

We will still be shipping the ability to target the iPhone and iPad in Flash CS5. However, we are not currently planning any additional investments in that feature.

What I find most interesting about this latest turn of events is that people are forgetting to focus on the positive. For one, there are plenty of other mobile operating systems that are embracing Flash. For example, even before Adobe announced its decision to not wrestle with Apple, the company was demoing a number of games running on Android that had been created with Flash.

I mentioned the other day how Google is courting iPhone developers. Now it’s only a matter of time before we see Google going after Flash developers, too. After all, if Adobe is focused on making Flash target more platforms, there are plenty of Flash developers out there dying for another platform to play on–especially one that already has a distribution system in place that will make them money for their hard work. Just imagine how fast the Android Market will grow if Adobe’s solution allows effortless porting to Android-based devices?

One thing I still would like to see Apple and Adobe settle on is the ability for the iPhone and iPad to play Flash. There’s plenty of content on the web that’s Flash-based, and not just videos either. It makes for a sub-standard browsing experience, and one that’s definitely doing a disservice to Apple’s own customer base.

For now, though, I’ll settle on a growing Android Market, provided Google and Adobe can make it all work seamlessly.

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Topics

Apple iPhone, Developer, Adobe Systems Inc., Android Market, Apple iPad, Apple Inc., Smart Phones, Consumer Electronics, Personal Technology, Joel Evans

With more than a decade of mobile, Internet and wireless experience, Joel specializes in taking existing brands and technologies into the mobile and wireless space.

Disclosure

Joel Evans

Joel is a serial entrepreneur with his most recent business, CronkSoftware (cronksoftware.com), focusing on consulting and building games and applications for mobile devices. Joel has consulted for Microsoft’s Windows Mobile division and advises other companies on how to incorporate mobile into their existing brands and products. Joel purchases many of his devices and others are sent for review on a 30-day loaner basis and then returned to the supplier. If any devices are provided as “keeper” Joel will clearly disclose this in his reviews.

Biography

Joel Evans

With more than a decade of mobile, Internet and wireless experience, Joel specializes in taking existing brands, technologies and services into the mobile and wireless space. Joel is currently serving as the Managing Director of Cronk Software, Inc., a company he founded to offer full-service, end-to-end mobile strategy, design and development services.

Joel is the former founder and "Chief Geek" of Geek.com, a website praised by The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Economist, and others as one of world's best sources of information for technology professionals and enthusiasts.

Joel also serves as a technology expert for a number of well-known publications and regularly advises corporations, analysts, journalists and bloggers on what the future of technology will bring. He brings decades of relationships with leading game publishers, online communities and publishers, along with both hardware and software product management and delivery expertise. Joel can be found online as "JoelGeek" and you can follow him on Twitter @JoelGeek.

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You guys are missing the point
trance2tec 12th May 2010
It's NOT about Flash in the mobile browser. That's not what the debate is about.

Flash CS5 currently allows you to export your AS3 applications as actual iPhone/iPad apps - we aren't talking about the browser here.

In fact, there are existing apps already on the iPhone that are developed in Flash. The issue is that now Apple sees this as a threat and changed their developer license so that you can't use Flash as a platform.

Why? Because Apple is a disgusting, slimy company. What happens when a developer can write an app in Flash? You end up with an environment where apps could be written once, and then run on ALL mobile operating systems. Apple wants to be anti-competitive and destroy innovation and competition. Hoping devs will continue to write for the popular iPhone OS and reduce the available apps on competing mobile OS's.

This has nothing to do with Flash in the browser, and everything to do with Flash being a wonderful environment that would unite all Mobile OS's in their ability to run the same applications.
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0 Votes
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Why not promote an open standard?
Juan2772 21st Apr 2010
Seriously, I am curious. Alternatively, why not get behind Silverlight while you are supporting Flash to increase competition?

I use Flash blockers and notice my web surfing is overwhelming more stable than without it and don't feel like I am missing anything. Considering Flash's absence on most smartphones while simultaneously their popularity continues to rise, I think Flash is an unnecessary evil I don't want on my phone.
0 Votes
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Google supporting MSFT Silverlight
LBiege Updated - 21st Apr 2010
... is less likely than Obama producing a budget surplus.
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google has no say, anyone can build for android
Johnny Vegas 21st Apr 2010
and android apps can be installed from anywhere...

that said Silverlight is a much better runtime environment and the Silverlight SDK and dev tools are much better than their Flash counterparts so yes google should publicly welcome SL apps and work with MS to ship an SL runtime in android so there's no need for static linking.

SL is the best way to build mobile apps for multiple platforms and will remain so even if apple cuts them out in the future...
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As a Flash developer
jaypeg 21st Apr 2010
I thought I might miss Flash when I got my first iPhone, but
I really haven't at all. There's been 1 or 2 instances when
I've said, 'doh!' when I've seen one of those little lego
blocks, but otherwise, I've been seeing the writing on the
wall for Flash for a few years now.

I think it started when they introduced AS3, it had a much
higher learning curve and spooked off a lot of graphic
designers also, Google, after all these years, still can't even
index a Flash site for search properly. Add to that the fact
that, Firefox, Opera and Safari gained power and started to
force Microsoft's browsers to adopt open CSS standards
(finally!) and javaScript frameworks (jQuery and others)
started to bring more eye candy and state-fullness to
xhtml web UI. Open standards are finally becoming a
reality for high-end design workflow.

Myself, I really enjoyed AS3 as it was my entrance to an
understanding of object oriented programing. It's going to
tough to give up on Flash. The things that always made
Flash so attractive to designers was it's vector coordinate
graphic placement--things stay where you put them, a
self-contained runtime with a robust scripting language,
animation either with code or timeline, font embedding
and text handling that is much better than anything you
can achieve with html/css. I still contend that overall, the
Flash/Silverlight-type development/deployment paradigms
are the future of all web design, and if HTML5, SVG and
WebFonts deliver on their promises, that is indeed where
we are all heading, but the transition is going to be a bit
slow and frustrating for us old-timer Flash developers.

But my time with Flash was never waisted, it lead me, a
graphic designer, into the world of programming and code.
By learning ActionScript, I gained an understanding of
basic programming principles that I've now translated in a
working knowledge of javaScript, php, and soon, Objective
C.

It's too bad that Apple and Adobe can't get along. I can
sort of see both sides of this, but I'm going to side with
Apple because I believe they are providing the strongest
levels of creativity and leadership for the current tech
marketplace and for future web development standards.
Many choose to fear and hate Apple because of their
apparently closed ways. They imagine Apple taking over
everything and becoming an abusive monopolist ...like
Microsoft was. But I'm prepared to cut them some slack
because I see them out there on point, taking huge risks
and leading the way. Steve Jobs holds up the iPhone one
day and then the entire industry is copying it the next!
That's leadership. And when Apple says html5 is it--I'm
not going to argue. It's an open, non-proprietary standard.
It's going to win and I'm going to be onboard.
0 Votes
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If anything, Flash on the Android will be the death of Flash
wackoae 21st Apr 2010
Reasons:
#1- Flash will drain the battery like nothing else before.

#2- After the 1st Flash based intrusion (I bet it will happen within a few weeks after introduction), people will avoid Flash like it was a plague.

#3- LSO (Flash cookies), the silent privacy killer.
0 Votes
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HTML5 by default; Flash as a backup
linuser 22nd Apr 2010
I agree.

The problems I see with Flash are:
1. it tends to be a resource hog (CPU, battery life, ...).
2. it is prone to crashes, on some platforms (i.e. it is not robust across all OSes).
3. it is notorious for security issues.
4. it does not integrate seamlessly with the rest of a web page's content (try using keyboard commands on a page when flash content has focus).
5. it is based on proprietary technology controlled by one company.
6. it usually requires the installation & maintenance of a plug-in.

I recently installed FlashBlock plug-ins for Google Chrome and Firefox and the experience is amazing!

- pages load faster.
- you don't waste unnecessary CPU cycles, battery, etc., on Flash content.
- if you want to see the Flash content, you just click on it.

Smartphones that ultimately support Flash should enable FlashBlock by default. Then, a user won't inadvertently drain their battery by simply browsing a few websites.

Ideally, websites should offer HTML5 by default, with Flash as a backup. This would:

1. make their content visible to virtually all smartphones with a WebKit-based browser (including the iPhone/iPad).
2. circumvent desktop browser FlashBlock.
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RE: Will the Android Market suddenly see an influx of Flash-based apps?
gtdworak 22nd Apr 2010
Or people can embrace HTML5 and build much more stable solid and open applications.

Note to advertisers: (including those who advertise via third-party ad networks and become, in effect, our advertisers): Your Flash-based ads are no longer reaching the most well-heeled customers online: 50+ million iPhone owners. They're also not hitting brand new iPad users or 35+ million iPod touch users. If you care about reaching people with discretionary income, you might want to consider dumping your flash-based ads and moving to a more open format that people with money and the will to spend it can actually see.
0 Votes
+ -
You guys are missing the point
trance2tec 12th May 2010
It's NOT about Flash in the mobile browser. That's not what the debate is about.

Flash CS5 currently allows you to export your AS3 applications as actual iPhone/iPad apps - we aren't talking about the browser here.

In fact, there are existing apps already on the iPhone that are developed in Flash. The issue is that now Apple sees this as a threat and changed their developer license so that you can't use Flash as a platform.

Why? Because Apple is a disgusting, slimy company. What happens when a developer can write an app in Flash? You end up with an environment where apps could be written once, and then run on ALL mobile operating systems. Apple wants to be anti-competitive and destroy innovation and competition. Hoping devs will continue to write for the popular iPhone OS and reduce the available apps on competing mobile OS's.

This has nothing to do with Flash in the browser, and everything to do with Flash being a wonderful environment that would unite all Mobile OS's in their ability to run the same applications.

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