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Tuesday March 11, 2008 12:20 pm

Why is Apple stalling Flash on the iPhone?

Andru Edwards

Posted by Andru Edwards
Categories: Apple, Cell Phones, Editorial, Handhelds, Rumors, Software

iPhone flashA few weeks ago, we reported that sources revealed to us that Flash on the iPhone was coming soon. At the time, we felt very strongly that the reasons we stated were sound and accurate. Then, a few days ago, Steve Jobs stated that Flash wouldn’t be coming to the because it was “too slow to be useful” and that Flash Lite was “not capable of being used with the web.”

So we started getting comments on our last entry, like this one, saying that we were wrong. The iPhone 1.1.4 release came and went, as did the announcement. Nothing from Apple regarding Flash, until Jobs said it was a no go. So we went back to our source, who was - and still is - 100% convinced that these are just stall tactics.


From what we know from our source, who we believe is reliable, Flash is already running on iPhones internally in Apple’s lab, and has been for a long time. The issue lies in the iPhone’s use of Apple’s own PDF renderer. Adobe would naturally prefer it if Apple would use the Adobe PDF renderer. To be clear, there is certainly enough CPU horsepower on the iPhone to run Flash. If the Chumby - which has half the CPU horsepower - can run Flash8/AS2, then it isn’t a stretch that a more feature-rich version could run on the iPhone.

We also don’t think it’s about control. Apple wants to sell iPhones. Having a device more capable by running more stuff only makes it more attractive - and sells more devices. Why would Apple possibly want for this not to happen? The only reason we can think of right now is AT&T’s fear of apps running through Flash.

It’s stalled for business negotiations reasons right now. Not technical.




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Comments

  • Al
    By Al at 3/11/08

    I seems to me that the only way Steve Jobs could know that Flash was “too slow to be useful” and that Flash Lite was “not capable of being used with the web.” would be if Apple had “Flash already running on iPhones internally in Apple’s lab for a long time”

    It could just be the same as flash on a slow internet connection. Too painfully slow to be used and damn right annoying when encountered on a web site.

    link to this comment

  • Robert
    By Robert at 3/11/08

    I hate websites that use Flash for their intro page view.  Even on a Mac Pro it sucks!  Why would Apple want to help make Flash the standard for wireless internet when Adobe is so poor at supporting Apple’s OS.

    link to this comment

  • By at 3/11/08

    Well, those who want Flash on their iPhone don’t want it for website that are fully written in Flash, or that feature Flash intros. it’s more about integration - being able to directly visit a website with a Flash embed, and playing that embed, etc. There are some legitimate, non-annoying uses! wink

    link to this comment

  • george
    By george at 3/11/08

    @Robert

    If you think Adobe is poor at supporting Apple’s OS than you probably have never used Linux (waiting for Adobe to support your AMD64-based distribution) or a Mac/Java developer (watching Apple making your life miserable everyday). Adobe and Macromedia apps have a strong legacy on the Mac, dating back to the Classic days.
    But never forget that Mac is a closed ecosystem, don’t even try to enter Apple dev lists without taking a blood oath to secrecy first. Apple’s moto “we think, you obbey” works well for some people, just not for the open-thinking minds.

    link to this comment

  • jbekin
    By jbekin at 3/11/08

    Yea, this is like Asteroid, the fake music hardware ruse used just to ferret out info leakers. Flash will NEVER be on the iPhone because:

    a) It’s Adobe’s
    b) it’s pointless waste of battery and processing power like the ad above so the old guys mouth can open and words can be put on the screen. Flash is animated Gif’s 2.0 - funny and harmless on a desktop but 99.99% waste on a portable machine.
    c) with an SDK, flash is even more pointless as if it weren’t already 99.99% pointless already.

    GearLive, your contact has been told they’re negotiating but it will conclude on the same day that Steve Jobs drops dead and Adobe is allowed to put a big pink sticker on the outside of the iphone box that says NOW WITH DRM FLASH by ADOBE!!!.

    In other words, that guy will be fired from Apple long before Adobe closes up shop in 5 years when all their apps are open-sourced.

    link to this comment

  • Walt French
    By Walt French at 3/11/08

    <cite>Why would Apple possibly want for this not to happen?</cite>

    The three --count’em, three—likely reasons why Apple’s iPhone rules forbid interpreted apps that don’t use Apple technologies are…

    1. Security. Any app that allows plugins allows a way for viruses and other malware to get into the machine.

    2. User experience. Flash patches have been coming pretty fast and furious these days, as Adobe rushes in security fixes, DRM and new features out to users. This would give iPhone users the feeling that they are janitors to their self-important phone. (And they’d be right!) Bad enough that Apple has had to disseminate 4 updates.

    3. Performance. Flash slows down older Macs on busy pages. It could be gawdawful on Edge for a slower processor, and that’s also a perception issue that Apple doesn’t want to own.

    I’m not doubting that Apple has <i>tried</i> Flash in their labs, maybe getting it to work halfway well. But you could say the same for Java, Dot Net and half a dozen popular scripting languages, too. If you tried to support all of ‘em, you’d fill up the iPhone with cruft (no room for your music & vids!) and for your trouble make QuickTime a less important format for websites. What sort of a good deal is that?

    link to this comment

  • George
    By George at 3/12/08

    Has anybody heard about the iPhone finally being upgraded to run on AT&T;’s 3G network? I read on an iPhone site that if and whe it happens it would not happen with this current version of the iPhone but rather be a 2nd generation iPhone? Everybody who bought this first version would be trying to unload them quick on eBay I guess...lol.

    link to this comment

  • Some geek
    By Some geek at 3/12/08

    @Walt French - My sentiments exactly. Please see:

    http://www.gearlive.com/news/article/q108-flash-on-iphone-is-just-around-the-corner/#c23577

    If you look at what Apple has done before with formats they don’t consider compatible, it’s obvious where Flash will be:

    -Cordoned off as an app like Youtube.app if it’s there at all.

    -Embedded in Opera or another browser that makes it to the App Store. [ref Opera on the Wii]

    But as a plugin mucky mucking with iPhone WebKit???  No.

    And I agree with you on all counts; Adobe really has put some faith in Blink / Animated gif 2.0. Useless in the mobile arena UNLESS they really think thru things with AIR. And even then… hmm.

    link to this comment

  • Rob
    By Rob at 3/17/08

    I’m so sick of hearing about Flash on the iPhone.  I can’t think of a single site that I visit on an even occasional basis that uses Flash.  Whenever I’m given the choice of visiting a Flash or HTML version of a site, I always choose HTML.  The only thing Flash is good for is web toons.

    I hope Apple doesn’t given in.  The web should be open, so unless Adobe plans to open source Flash, it needs to go.  And, as for the PDF issue, well, I just upgraded to Acrobat Professional 8 on my new 24” iMac (2.8gHz Core Duo Extreme) and it is DOG SLOW.  I can’t get over how long it takes to launch.  And the web plugin sucks hard.  Each time I view a PDF in Safari, I have to wait, and wait, and wait while the lame plugin loads, draws its toolbar one icon at a time, then finally loads the page.

    Just say NO to Adobe!!!  They were a shining star once, for sure, but these days they’re as bloated and insufferable as Microsoft.

    link to this comment

  • mikeb
    By mikeb at 3/19/08

    http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/08/03/18/adobe_begins_work_on_flash_player_for_iphone.html

    link to this comment

  • rogerm
    By rogerm at 3/21/08

    You are missing the point. The touch and the iphone have great potential as mobile learning devices, but not until they support Flash. There is a big corporate market that can turn these devices into useful business appliances with flash, but without it they are just gimmick toys with no practical use except for gadget freaks to play with and quickly tire of.

    link to this comment

  • Some geek
    By Some geek at 3/21/08

    @rogerm

    All my vitriol aside, you’re correct about the iPhone and iPod Touch. They are limited in what they can do, I think the -next- generation has potential, but I can tell you [as a jailbreaker] that graphic intensive and background apps eat the battery time.

    That is why Google Maps and other ‘Mashup’ apps don’t live in the browser, but as separate apps. This is how Apple discourages ‘constant use’.

    The other thing is, that Apple is embracing HTML5 and AJAX to get things done. If you want basic interactivity you have a choice:

    -Use Safari, HTML5 and the basic interactivity that way, or,

    -Code a standalone learning app via AIR or whatever Flash runtime that Adobe comes up with. But understand: You will NOT live in MobileSafari.

    The current situation [Adobe backing off, articles today] bears this out.

    Also, bear in mind that there were web devs in the past that ‘couldn’t live without’ animated gif and midi sounds. They had to adapt. As will Flash devs, if they want to develop in the iphone / itouch space.

    But I can guarantee to you: these little devices are NOT toys. There are a number of apps and scripts [Unix tools, javascript bookmarklets like iTransmogrify!] that make these little machines productive.

    Me, if I’m out at a cafe, I don’t even haul my laptop around. I can ssh, vnc, check mail, get info, have a local wikipedia on my iTouch.

    And if the power considerations were solved, I could do this for more than 2-5 hours. *sigh*

    link to this comment

  • xero / fontvir.us
    By xero / fontvir.us at 4/1/08

    “The only reason we can think of right now is AT&T;’s fear of VOIP apps running through Flash.”

    as they should be. since VOIP is working in flash as3 now! (dev of course, but functional!)

    link to this comment

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