Flash on the iPhone? Don't hold your breath

Wed Mar 5, 2008 4:03PM EST

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Sick of seeing "Your browser doesn't support Flash" when you surf the Web on your iPhone? Better get used to it.

AllThingsDigital reports that during Apple's annual shareholder meeting Tuesday, Steve Jobs told investors that the existing versions of Flash—a popular Web platform that delivers all manner of cool, interactive Web animations—aren't quite right for the iPhone. That essentially scotched rumors that Flash support might be unveiled Thursday during Apple's iPhone software "town hall."

Specifically, Jobs said that the mobile Flash player, dubbed Flash Lite, "is not capable of being used with the Web, while the desktop version of Flash "performs too slow to be useful" on the iPhone. "There's this missing product in the middle," Jobs added.

Huh...OK, then. So when will we get said "missing product"? After all, isn't the iPhone supposed to deliver the Internet in your pocket?

Well, Jobs didn't offer up an answer to that question. Meanwhile, when reached for comment by CNET News.com, Flash developer Adobe—once a trusted partner of Apple's—simply coughed up some PR-speak ("Flash and Flash Lite are huge successes," etc.).

It's bad news for those of us who've been waiting patiently for the iPhone's browser to get with the program and support Flash, a ubiquitous technology on the Web that's sorely lacking in the mobile Safari.

Indeed, phone maker Nokia—which has a mobile browser that's second only to the iPhone—just announced that it's supporting Microsoft's Silverlight platform, a slick Flash competitor that already runs on Windows Mobile phones.

So, iPhone users: how badly do you want Flash support on the iPhone—or would you rather have another feature, such as 3G data support?

Related:
Jobs: “Flash Lite”? More Like “Flash in the Pan” [AllThingsDigital]

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  • 1 Posted by matt_archbold2002 on Wed Mar 5, 2008 4:17PM EST Report Abuse

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  • 2 Posted by my_ea on Thu Mar 6, 2008 5:00PM EST Report Abuse

    The features am waiting for are (in order for first thru nth priority): 3G, Flash support, longer battery life, bigger storage capacity, GPS.

  • 3 Posted by kyle_b_winston on Thu Mar 6, 2008 5:18PM EST Report Abuse

    FLASH!!!!! I have never had a problem with by browser speed or battery life....I need Flash!!!!

  • 4 Posted by fud1000 on Thu Mar 6, 2008 11:16PM EST Report Abuse

    flash 3g gps any thingelse don't think so

  • 5 Posted by dallen_intel on Sat Mar 8, 2008 4:17PM EST Report Abuse

    Flash, for sure! Also, something that I am craving badly is the ability to COPY and PASTE! If you really want to compete against blackberry and Treo, you need this option!

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