War Between Flash and HTML5 is Over: HTML5 Has Won

The debate over whether supporting the Adobe Flash plug-in on mobile devices is a better way to support content apps, instead of using HTML5, seems to be over. Adobe is abandoning its work on Flash for mobile.


"Our future work with Flash on mobile devices will be focused on enabling Flash developers to package native apps with Adobe AIR for all the major app stores. We will no longer adapt Flash Player for mobile devices to new browser, OS version or device configurations," Adobe says. Flash, HTML5 war is over

Instead, the company will refocus its efforts on mobile apps and desktop content, and “aggressively contribute to HTML5.” It’s not just that HTML5 is a great opportunity for Adobe. There are some very basic reasons why the company changed course on its mobile Flash.


In particular, Flash suffers a performance hit as video resolution grows. 

A Skirmish in the Apple-Google Fight

It's a small skirmish, but Android will be supporting Flash natively in version 2.2 of the operating system, though Google appears to think highly of HTML5 as well. Apple, of course, does not support Flash for the iPad.

Adobe demonstrated Flash running on Android about 10 months ago, it seems, and HTC devices do support Flash on at least some "Sense"-capable devices.

Putting Flash support into Android does not mean Google will not also support HTML5, but the decision seems at least partly a stake in the ground in the growing battle over video playback standards for the mobile Web.

"Go Screw Yourself, Apple" Flash Evangelist Says

Apple doesn't support "Flash"-authored applications, favoring HTML5, a move that obviously harms Adobe's efforts to maintain an "open" standard for authoring Web video. Apple prefers HTML5 at least in part for technical reasons: it makes easier the task of inserting video-based advertising into video content.

Lee Brimelow is a Platform Evangelist at Adobe focusing on the Flash, Flex, and AIR developer communities, and has a succinct comment on what he thinks of Apple's position: "Go screw yourself Apple."

That's one way of assessing the threat Apple's approach to video applications causes in some quarters.

"Any real developer would not in good conscience be able to support this," Brimelow argues, calling the Apple move "hostile and despicable."

A move like this clearly shows the difference between our two companies, he says. "All we want is to provide creative professionals an avenue to deploy their work to as many devices as possible," he says. "We are not looking to kill anything or anyone."

The clear implication is that Apple is trying to "kill" Adobe's Flash business.

"This is equivalent to me walking into Macy’s to buy a new wallet and the salesperson spits in my face," says Brimelow. "Chances are I won’t be buying my wallets at Macy’s anymore, no matter how much I like them."

Lee's post