14 DAY TRIAL // Adobe's Flash Player 10.1 is set to arrive on a wide range of smartphones out there in the very near future, yet it seems that there are some details on the launch of the technology that were not unveiled until now. One of them is the fact that Google's Android operating system will need some enhancements to fully support the upcoming technology.
Some of the previous reports on this matter suggested that Android 2.1 would be the platform version that comes with support for Flash Player 10.1, yet it seems that enhancements are needed in all versions of the operating system. According to Engadget, this is what Adrian Ludwig, group product marketing manager for Flash Platform, said when asked about how things are.
“Adobe, Google, and other members of the Open Screen Project are working together to make ensure the full Web experience can be delivered on largest possible number of devices. Support for full Flash Player 10.1 requires some enhancements to existing versions of Android. These enhancements are expected to be available as an upgrade to existing devices and for new devices starting in Q2 2010,” Adobe said, reports Engadget.
However, there are still no details on what these enhancements are all about or on the manner in which they will be delivered to existing devices. There are chances that most Android smartphones on the market will receive a software update so as to support Flash 10.1, but there is also the possibility that Android 2.1 is the only OS version that supports the technology.
One way or the other, Flash Player 10.1 is still on track to soon arrive on Android phones out there, and it seems that the second quarter might actually be the lucky time frame. As for devices running under other operating systems, such as Symbian, Windows Mobile or webOS, some of them will also receive the technology, though exact details on this are still unavailable.