Adobe confirms it will no longer develop Flash for mobile browsers

Posted:
in iPhone edited January 2014
Adobe on Wednesday confirmed that it will no longer develop its Flash Player for mobile platforms like Android, and will instead pour its efforts into creating Adobe AIR applications for native storefronts like Apple's iOS App Store.



The change in strategy was laid out in a post to the company's official blog, in which Danny Winokur, vice president of the Flash Client Platform at Adobe, said that his company will contribute "more aggressively" to HTML 5.



"HTML5 is now universally supported on major mobile devices, in some cases exclusively," he said. "This makes HTML5 the best solution for creating and deploying content in the browser across multiple platforms.



"We are excited about this, and will continue our work with key players in the HTML community, including Google, Apple, Microsoft and RIM, to drive HTML 5 innovation they can use to advance their mobile browsers."



Development of the browser-based Flash Player will cease following the upcoming release of Flash Player 11.1 for Android and BlackBerry PlayBook. Adobe has promise to deliver "critical bug fixes and security updates" for existing devices, and source code licensees will be able to continue working on and releasing their own implementations.



Adobe has said that Flash will live on in mobile devices through its AIR platform, which will enable Flash developers to package native applications for devices like Apple's iPhone and iPad. Apple original banned the use of third-party tools to create iOS applications, but eventually relented last year to allow Flash conversion tools like Adobe AIR.



Adobe's official statement confirms earlier rumors that the company would abandon development of the Flash Player for mobile browsers. The company informed some of its developer community on Tuesday, before the public announcement was made on Wednesday.



The decision by Adobe to abandon Flash in mobile browsers comes less than two years after late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs slammed Flash in a public letter. Jobs declared that Adobe's Web format was created for the PC era, but that it "falls short" in the new wave of mobile computing, led by low-power devices with touch interfaces.



"Flash is a successful business for Adobe, and we can understand why they want to push it beyond PCs," Jobs wrote in April of 2010. "But the mobile era is about low power devices, touch interfaces and open web standards -- all areas where Flash falls short.







"The avalanche of media outlets offering their content for Apple's mobile devices demonstrates that Flash is no longer necessary to watch video or consume any kind of web content... New open standards created in the mobile era, such as HTML5, will win on mobile devices (and PCs too). Perhaps Adobe should focus more on creating great HTML5 tools for the future, and less on criticizing Apple for leaving the past behind."



Jobs's words have proven prophetic, as this August Adobe unveiled a new tool called Edge, which allows developers to create Flash-style animation all using the HTML5 standard compatible when browsing the Web on an iPhone or iPad. And in September, the company launched a new version of its Adobe Flash Media Server, allowing developers to deliver standards-based HTML5 video along with Flash video.



Adobe's Flash will continue to live on in traditional PC browsers with the new Flash Player 11, which the company has said will offer 3D-intensive games with "console quality" graphics, all available within a Web browser. Adobe also said it is already working on Flash Player 12 for PCs, along with "a new round of exciting features which we expect to again advance what is possible for delivering high definition entertainment experiences."
«13456789

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 170
    ...and reminds us to stay hungry, stay foolish.
  • Reply 2 of 170
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Woodlink View Post


    ...and reminds us to stay hungry, stay foolish.



    Adobe is following Steve's words. They keep keep investing in dead end projects so they can stay foolish and they keep laying off employees so that they stay hungry.
  • Reply 3 of 170
    Gruber:



    Apple didn’t win. Everybody won. Flash hasn’t been superseded in mobile by any sort of Apple technology. It’s been superseded by truly open web technologies. Dumping Flash will make Android better, it will make BlackBerrys better, it will make the entire web better. iOS users have been benefitting from this ever since day one, in June 2007.



    http://daringfireball.net/linked/201...everybody-wins
  • Reply 4 of 170
    Hooray!
  • Reply 5 of 170
    rob55rob55 Posts: 1,291member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Woodlink View Post


    ...and reminds us to stay hungry, stay foolish.



    Too bad he didn't get to see this day. It would have been interesting to hear what he would have had to say.
  • Reply 6 of 170
  • Reply 7 of 170
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    at Tallest Skil's image.





    PS: I guess that's one less negative mark under Cons for the iPhone and iPad when it comes time to rate them.
  • Reply 8 of 170
    eksodoseksodos Posts: 186member
    This is terrible news for savvy consumers who want the full web experience on their mobile devices.
  • Reply 9 of 170
    lkrupplkrupp Posts: 10,557member
    This is not going to go over well with the Fandroid crowd that revels in bashing iOS with the Flash argument.
  • Reply 10 of 170
    pokepoke Posts: 506member
    Not only was every word of Jobs's letter on Flash the unalloyed truth but now Adobe has taken his every piece of advice. I bet there are stil people who think Apple's approach to Flash is about "control" and the Jobs letter was full of lies though.
  • Reply 11 of 170
    Flash Sucks, even on a computer.
  • Reply 12 of 170
    gqbgqb Posts: 1,934member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by eksodos View Post


    This is terrible news for savvy consumers who want the full web experience on their mobile devices.



    I'll supply the laughing face for you... That's the only way that makes sense.

  • Reply 13 of 170
    Steve Jobs made a fantastic decision. It's the same reason Java apps aren't ever going to be installed on a mobile platform either. You don't want another runtime on top of your OS. It just adds complexity and, of course, it's going to have some overhead for support. I think the fight was in large part about keeping (bringing!) developers in the iOS fold.



    <snip from Thoughts on Flash>

    We know from painful experience that letting a third party layer of software come between the platform and the developer ultimately results in sub-standard apps and hinders the enhancement and progress of the platform. If developers grow dependent on third party development libraries and tools, they can only take advantage of platform enhancements if and when the third party chooses to adopt the new features. We cannot be at the mercy of a third party deciding if and when they will make our enhancements available to our developers.
  • Reply 14 of 170
    Well, now that Steve is gone I guess Adobe decided that they no longer needed to keep up this farce.



    It just ended sooner than later.



    jmho
  • Reply 15 of 170
    newbeenewbee Posts: 2,055member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post






    Brilliant, as always.
  • Reply 16 of 170
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by newbee View Post


    Brilliant, as always.



    Too bad I can't see the image in my browsers (IE8 and FF8). It's probably blocked by corporate firewall.
  • Reply 17 of 170
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by jj.yuan View Post


    Too bad I can't see the image in my browsers (IE8 and FF8). It's probably blocked by corporate firewall.



    I hosted it on Imgur. Imgur's blocked for you? That's surprising.



    Do you know of another image hosting service that isn't? I can rehost it there and send you the link if you want to see it.
  • Reply 18 of 170
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by eksodos View Post


    This is terrible news for savvy consumers who want the full web experience on their mobile devices.



    Ha! humor served dry. Nicely played.
  • Reply 19 of 170
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by eksodos View Post


    This is terrible news for savvy consumers who want the full web experience on their mobile devices.



    This might be true for the 8,497 of you "savvy consumers".



    The other 120 million "savvy consumers", and growing, will never notice.
  • Reply 20 of 170
    nkalunkalu Posts: 315member
    Jobs has been proven right again.

    Nice and profitable to show humility Adobe.
Sign In or Register to comment.