Adobe expects Flash on 250 million smartphones by end of 2012

While in the midst of fixing a unicorn-sized hole in the security of its desktop software, Adobe has been talking about its future in the mobile space. According to its rose-tinted forecasts, Flash Player will be featured in a quarter billion handsets by the end of 2012, including 53 percent of all smartphones shipped that year. Those are pretty strident words for a company that has yet to ship Flash Player 10.1 in even one new handset, but we're reminded that Android 2.2's leading position on the issue will be swiftly followed by BlackBerry OS, Symbian, webOS, and Windows Phone 7 supporting the full fat Flash experience. Whether all that momentum will be enough to produce an install base of 250 million, we don't know. What we do know, however, is that people want the blasted thing and Adobe had better start doing a bit more work on its mobile player and a little less talking about it -- that's what we're here for.

[r34p3r Posted Jun 11th 2010 4:20PM]

BRB, Burgers

[a dumb cat Posted Jun 11th 2010 4:22PM]

@r34p3r

Hoping webOS is second platform to get this new hotness. :)

[rutter9 Posted Jun 11th 2010 4:23PM]

@r34p3r

My EVO has 2.1 with flash already.

xda FTW

[macmann Posted Jun 11th 2010 4:23PM]

Haha! Yeah sure Adobe.

[r34p3r Posted Jun 11th 2010 4:24PM]

@a dumb cat

I'm pretty sure it will, considering I remember reading last year that they were working on getting Flash on WebOS-enabled devices. Now that HP owns Palm, however, I don't know what the outcome will be.

Keep your fingers crossed, because anything is possible these days.

[uckApple Posted Jun 11th 2010 4:26PM]

@r34p3r

I kinda wanna play that game now.

Lol

[rutter9 Posted Jun 11th 2010 4:27PM]

@uckApple

http://spongebob.nick.com/games/play/sb_invasion

[Vdek Posted Jun 11th 2010 4:29PM]

@a dumb cat
WebOS was supposed to get flash MONTHS ago, I'm sure we'll get it some time soon since HP is going to push WebOS on tablets, but meh a little late aren't they?

[bravokiloromeo Posted Jun 11th 2010 4:32PM]

Adobe, you have to release it, first.

[malus Posted Jun 11th 2010 4:36PM]

@r34p3r die, Flash

[princecloud35 Posted Jun 11th 2010 4:39PM]

yea i can see this happening, look at the power behind our smart phones now, pretty sure theyll hit 2ghz by 2012, poor apple though this could lead to its demise if html5 doesnt overtake flash by then

[jaxim Posted Jun 11th 2010 4:39PM]

@malus "If you want Porn, get an Android Phone." Likewise, if you don't want the full Internet with Flash, then get an iPhone.

[JeremyBenthem Posted Jun 11th 2010 4:39PM]

by 2012 250 million will be capable of flash, 10 will be using it

[Information Central Posted Jun 11th 2010 4:44PM]

Yeah, we all want more shitty Web sites created by hacks, that display "Loading..." every time you want to change pages. Or go back to the previous page.

Such a boon for the poor, non-technical business owners who get taken in with stupid animations during a demo without realizing how unusable and irritating their Web site is going to be when one of these clowns builds it.

[gargle Posted Jun 11th 2010 4:47PM]

@JeremyBenthem noone will be using it? You know what I do when I'm bored and there's no computer around? kongregate.com, flash games, flash video on engadget.. for me flash = entertainment on my nexus one. It truly is awesome all you nay sayers.

[MarkAnderson Posted Jun 11th 2010 4:47PM]

@Information Central

Actually what we want is the choice to use it or not.

Simples.

[Dafrety Posted Jun 11th 2010 4:54PM]

@Information Central
Because as we all know, HTML 5 will make it impossible to design a terrible website that has to load.

MarkAnderson wins with one sentence.

[eoeealknn Posted Jun 11th 2010 4:57PM]

@a dumb cat they said webos will get it by the first half of 2010, so is the deadline June 30th?

[JonE Posted Jun 11th 2010 5:09PM]

@macmann
Well, I'd suspect that Symbian^3/4 and Meego alone supporting it will lead to 250 million handsets in 2012

[Arkv2 Posted Jun 11th 2010 5:11PM]

@r34p3r

Considering millions of psps already have this, it doesnt' sound that bad.

[SskyNnet Posted Jun 11th 2010 5:18PM]

@JeremyBenthem If your going to be sarcastis, then at least make it a little more realistic

[CannedCorn Posted Jun 11th 2010 6:11PM]

@Information Central Holy god, thank you. Flash is a great options, but its hardly necessary and definitely would not persuade me from purchasing iPhone in the least.

(posted from my nexus with htc sense baby)

[GMoney Posted Jun 11th 2010 6:34PM]

@r34p3r

A "unicorn-sized hole"?? What does that even mean?

[naashak Posted Jun 11th 2010 7:15PM]

@r34p3r

uh...Engadget sirs, You forgot a little OS called MeeGo which already has proper flash since last year. Trust Engadget to conveniently forget stuff like this.

[Josearsenio Posted Jun 11th 2010 8:12PM]

Too late, So how cares

[JeremyBenthem Posted Jun 11th 2010 8:55PM]

@gargle
I'm talking about 2012, not now

[Plazmic Flame Posted Jun 11th 2010 10:09PM]

@princecloud35

Oh don't you worry, Apple/Jobs will definitely make sure HTML5 takes over eventually.

[AaronX Posted Jun 12th 2010 7:26AM]

@r34p3r It's just an announcement for the investors.

[maribo Posted Jun 12th 2010 12:41PM]

I've got an iPhone and tbh I really don't miss flash. Most of the flash games r on the app store and are free anyway. So ya don't miss flash.

[enaybee Posted Jun 12th 2010 5:07PM]

@Vdek

All i need is HP slate. Where is it? HP hasnt officially killed it yet? Yeah ?

[html5FLOP Posted Jun 14th 2010 8:25AM]

@Plazmic Flame
Sure, with mac soon to take over the computer market.. it'll never happen dude, get with it.

[logicbombde Posted Jun 11th 2010 4:21PM]

I dare you to hold your breath

[F C Posted Jun 11th 2010 4:42PM]

@logicbombde

I certainly wont!
They cant even get the damn thing out the door to begin w/, yet they're blabbing about 2012. They should just shut up and focus on not becoming irrelevant.

[Lumi Posted Jun 11th 2010 6:19PM]

@F C

Never doubt a company that can install their plugin on over 98% personal computers. Even Microsoft which virtually owns the PC world cannot dare that; neither could Apple with their lame Quicktime.

I believe Adobe can, cos they've done it before.

[aubreyq Posted Jun 11th 2010 6:32PM]

End of 2012? Why bother announcing such a thing?

[gracefulspammer Posted Jun 11th 2010 11:08PM]

@logicbombde

EPIC WIN FOR EVO 4G !!!
http://www.epinions.com/content_513931382404

[dave95 Posted Jun 12th 2010 12:39PM]

@F C

Well that's the thing, if Adobe shuts up, Flash will become irrelevant even faster on Smart Phones. They need to continue to blabber about how Flash plugin, with Flash banner animations that eats up load time and battery on the less powerful phones will be amazing in 2012, AMAZING! Only we've been hearing this for years.

[firehazard Posted Jun 11th 2010 4:21PM]

I want this on my "smarphone," too!

[AdamSpruijt Posted Jun 11th 2010 4:21PM]

Never gonna happen.

-signed Steve

[Formul Posted Jun 11th 2010 4:22PM]

@AdamSpruijt /signed :-)

[uckApple Posted Jun 11th 2010 4:27PM]

@AdamSpruijt

Steve, glad you could visit Engadget again.

What do you think about the buzz going around that the multitasking in iOS4 still isnt true multitaskin?

[AdamSpruijt Posted Jun 11th 2010 5:43PM]

@uckApple

I blew it
-signed Steve

[TomSawyer Posted Jun 11th 2010 4:23PM]

wow, a quarter billion phones with crap battery life. Can't wait.

[r34p3r Posted Jun 11th 2010 4:25PM]

@TomSawyer

Those devices with "crap battery life" sure won't be Android devices -- especially because Froyo is supposed to cut the performance hit of the operating system drastically.

[uckApple Posted Jun 11th 2010 4:28PM]

@TomSawyer

1 word..


FROYO

[MarkAnderson Posted Jun 11th 2010 4:28PM]

@TomSawyer

Oh right. That must be why Apple don't allow GPS or WiFi then.

Woops!

[Dafrety Posted Jun 11th 2010 4:34PM]

@TomSawyer
I must be missing something. How could these phones all automatically be taking a battery life hit if they get the OPTION to download the OPTIONAL Adobe Flash add-on and visit websites that specifically make use of Flash? Please enlighten me as to how this works.

[r34p3r Posted Jun 11th 2010 5:05PM]

@TomSawyer

lol @ getting downranked for giving Android positive credit...

[petebob796 Posted Jun 11th 2010 5:18PM]

@Dafrety Thick people don't understand it can only affect the battery if it's running.

[MaTdg Posted Jun 11th 2010 5:26PM]

@uckApple

Check out this vid: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtGCaKyd_co

It's running FROYO... and lags like hell.