Google Announces Flash For Android Devices
Flash for Android Based Phones
Google announced that it is working with Adobe to roll out Flash 10.1 onto its Android devices. This is a strategic move, as Apple’s iPhone and the recently released iPad do not support Flash capabilities. This has led to some speculation as to whether or not Adobe and Apple are distancing themselves from each other for some reason, but needless to say Android owners seem to be coming out on top in all of this. Even Microsoft’s 7 Series devices will not support Flash in their first iteration. This means that for those without Android devices, viewing web-based videos without official Flash software installed will be nigh impossible. Those seeking to find software from open source or homemade application are at risk of violating end-user agreements with Apple.
During the demonstration at the GSM World conference, Eric Tsen, Product Manager for Google, assured the attending audience that this was not Flash-lite or some home-brewed version of Flash, but rather the full version of the software developed by Adobe to take advantage of the graphic processing abilities native to Android devices. This was shown by playing a flash-based movie trailer on an Android mobile phone.
This is a huge boon for Google. According to a recent report by comScore Media Metrix, over 70% of videos viewed on web sites are Flash-based, and this number is growing. With Adobe Flash installed on Android devices, this would allow Google to essentially corner the ability to watch web-based videos until Apple and Microsoft start to listen to their customers’ wants and needs. Being able to take full advantage of the processing power and integrated graphics rendering capabilities on Android hand held devices is something that Google customers are looking forward to, as Google itself is excited to have in its partnership with Adobe to keep its edge in the field of versatile mobile devices.
