Adobe: Flash 10.1 will require 'some enhancements to existing versions of Android'
By Donald Melanson 
posted February 9th 2010 8:08PM
posted February 9th 2010 8:08PM
As you may have noticed, there were a few reports making the rounds earlier today that suggested Flash 10.1 for Android would be limited to phones running Android 2.1. Adobe itself didn't seem to be saying much about the matter, however, so we inquired with them and received a statement that raises about as many questions as it answers. According to Adrian Ludwig, group product marketing manager for Flash Platform:
Adobe, Google, and other members of the Open Screen Project are working together to make ensure the full Web experience can be delivered on largest possible number of devices. Support for full Flash Player 10.1 requires some enhancements to existing versions of Android. These enhancements are expected to be available as an upgrade to existing devices and for new devices starting in Q2 2010.
The key detail there, obviously, is that support for the full Flash Player 10.1 will indeed require "some enhancements" to current versions of Android, meaning that one way or another you'll have to update, and that an update for every Android phone isn't necessarily guaranteed. What the statement doesn't confirm, however, is whether those "enhancements" are, in fact, Android 2.1, or an update of some sort that will follow Android 2.1 -- we'll let you know if we get any further clarification on that.
@Air Force One
How many different release dates is this now...4, 5?
I mean I love them for coding flash but fuck man how long can it possibly take? They have pushed this back so many times now it's getting a bit ridiculous.
@Air Force One There's an older version of flash on the PSP... Doesn't work with youtube though.
full Web experience?
Adobe didnt get the memo, the full and best "web experience" is no flash at all.
@Maj: They were right when they said the "Full" web experience.
Whether its the "best" web experience is up to debate.
apparently alot of htc android phones are getting 2.1 updates around march.. so maybe they are all working together to get this done before summer?
I truly hope flash dies soon.. VIVA HTML 5!!!
@kingblind
sluggish, slow, and so far doesn't live up to 5% of your expectations.
@kingblind flash will never die
@kingblind
What's going one people? Don't you realize that html5 is only good for streaming vid and really nothing else? And even when you stream vid, don't you think it will be ads free? Wait let me check my 3 browser that I'm using now to see if it support html5... Wait, I'm getting closer... No it does not support html5.
FROYO!!!!!
....or "Flan" if you don't watch the Engadget Show ;)
Android rules though. I'm so tired of Apple's closed system.
Q2.... so May/July? That doesn't sound like February 2010 to me. Another delay, then.
The sad thing is, the market is driven by competition. If the iPhone doesn't have Flash, then there's no reason for other OSes to take the plunge.
This isn't news obviously an update to Android would be required for flash 10.1.
Also adobe don't choose which versions of Android will get 10.1 support unless they provide the development time to integrate it themselves. They simply provide their code and the API's to use it as they do to any other mobile OS. Obviously GPU acceleration complicates the API a great deal.
This is getting messed up. If you buy a Nexus One, I assume it'll be updated to new versions of Android as they come out. Others, it depends. Apparently the Droid is going to be updated to 2.1, but it isn't going to get everything that's in 2.1. But that's this week. Will it be updated to 2.2 or whatever is required to have Flash? If the Droid is released on a vendor other than Verizon which vendors will allow the update? Google needs to get its act together. If Apple can force cell phone companies to provide updates, why can't Google?
@Fanfoot
Apple doesn't force cellphone companies to provide updates. Apple provides the update to iPhone users. The users can decide to do the update on their own terms.
Anyone notice the battery on that Nexus One? Just saying...
@Infomaniac The battery life meter, I mean.
@Infomaniac: The same thing would happen if you were playing a game or high quality video on the device.
@Infomaniac
Yeah, it looks like the owner hasn't charged it in awhile.
And the fragmentation grows stronger..
Can't wait for free flash games and hulu on my phone!!
@ininfinitum Between the flash stressing out your system resources to the max and your constant open cell or wifi connection for streaming, I hope your battery can last long enough to make it through one episode of Family Guy.
@GadgetGeezer
Are you assuming that streaming other format is less taxing? No.
i gots root, bring it on adobe!
I hope that with this announcement people finally realize what garbage Flash really is and can appreciate the war that Apple is willing to fight against Adobe. Sure, Apple obviously has it's own motives (no one is going to dispute that), but they at least are the only ones willing to take a stand against the constant BS that comes out of Adobe.
Android was released back in '08 - which obviously means that it was in development for a good amount of time before that. That means that Adobe could have started development for Flash on Android well over 2 YEARS ago. WTF is wrong with this company? Flash is not THAT complex of a tool - the roots of it go back over 20 years to the old-school Director program (I know it's not quite the same, but there is definitely a relationship there). If MacroMedia could get Director apps to run on '90s era computers, it is absolutely ridiculous that Adobe needs this much time to get it to run on a modern smartphone (which has a CPU faster than a '90s era desktop).
@Hazdaz the only war apple is fighting is about Money! FLASH APPS will destroy Apples bread and butter Itunes App store, because the reality is some of those silly ass games you pay 99cents for on Apple are surpassed for free on Flash. Apple is no saint!
@ZLiberator
Where the hell did I say that they were a saint?!?
Did I not clearly point out that Apple has their own motives?
But it doesn't matter - the bottom line is that Apple still is the only one to call Adobe out on their BS, and if that helps break them, then so be it.
(Also, lets be perfectly clear here - there are tons of free games and other apps available for the iPod.)
This is outrageous. Jobs' comment that they're "lazy" makes a lot of sense now...
my n1 will have flashhhh
this will most definately make apple fan boys cry...sorry apple, im switching to open source
@robindahoods
Apply fanboys are crying with laughter at this post, as they load GTA on their iDevices.
@robindahoods
I like Android an all, but to say Flash is open source because it runs on it...?
@ThreeDee912
no dude, i meant to say im switching to open source because flash runs on it, as oposed to closed source systems like iphone os or web os.
although ive had a jailbroken iphone for quite a while and didnt know i could load gta on it...
@ThreeDee912, Flash is, mostly, open source: http://blogs.adobe.com/open/2010/02/following_the_open_trail.html
LOL @ Flash game in above Image.
I'm loving flash 9.4 on my nokia N900 can"t wait till 10.1 comes to android and nokia
I'm sure the haters out there will keeping bitching up a storm about Apple's lack of mobile Flash support when they themselves don't have flash on their devices and probably won't for the foreseeable future.
Keep playing that old tune while your vaporware keeps getting it's rollout date pushed back further and further.
@GadgetGeezer
Watch it get pushed back to 2011 and they still keep waiting.
@GadgetGeezer, I have a full Flash support on my N900, thank you very much.
It's so easy, a caveman can do it.
I see that commercial so many times, it's all I can think of.
Flash would be okay, only if I can install adBlock/noscript on my phone so it won't load Flash.
LOL
Dear Apple haters: how's the flash thing going? Oh, sorry.
Some of you were probably the same goofs that started all the anti-apple nonsense that got the comments shut down. Now ya'll are crying because your hero adobe just pushed back your vaporware. Yes, us apple fans are LOVING EVERY MINUTE OF IT.
Ok, just jabbing yall in the ribs, but seriously, some commentators can actually see the forest for the trees- adobe is a shit company. APPLE KNOWS THIS. Now yall are finally being forced to see the light, and that anti-apple bias looks even more foolish than it already is (non -apple engadget, hahah)
One more thing- it's sooo tiring to hear folks complain about flash games- none of them were ever programmed to be used from a cell/smartphone. this should be a DUH moment, but, then again, these are the 'apple-free' engadget readers...
Enjoy, tell adobe Jobs says "hell-o"
i remember playing that crummy alien shoot em up on miniclip.com. oh the memories.
k check it as of right now flash is still the shit....i have an n1 and ill be getting flash on it...apple fan boys can suck it. maybe 5 years down the road flash will be non existent who knows...however im not lookin to use this phone for that long and ill be up to date when the time comes. so i think im still one step ahead of u suckers!
and i love how engadget always has somethin negative to say concerning android...oh android is getting flash but lets fkn overanalyze what the guy said so then we can assume that older versions wont get it and conclude that android fails yet again....give me a fkn break.....
*sniff sniff*
Is that a subtle request for OS-level DRM that I'm smelling?
I know that stink anywhere.
I agree with the earlier poster who said they want whatever is required to surf the web sites they visit.
Open Source and open standards are fine and wonderful, and in no way should they be walked away from, but at the same time, we also need to be a little bit practical here, too.
Of course, Adobe also needs to get off its ass and make Flash mobile-friendly.