Android 2.2 Will Have Baked-in Adobe Flash

Posted 04/27/2010 at 4:56pm | by Ryan Whitwam

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It's been a long strange road as we wait for Adobe Flash to finally come to mobile devices. Some HTC Android phones run Flash Lite, but the performance leaves a lot to be desired. Google's Android chief Andy Rubin has finally given us a clue about just when and how Flash will be coming to Android.Ruben said in a recent New York Times interview that Flash would be integrated with the next Android update, 2.2, also known as Froyo. The current newest build is 2.1, codenamed Éclair.

This seems to indicate that the release is near. We have another clue as well. A recent interview with Adobe's CEO saw him stumbling a bit when talking about the mobile Flash rollout. He originally claimed that Flash mobile 10.1 would come out in the second half of 2010, this differed from the previously stated windows of the first half of the year. Adobe was forced to clarify: Flash is hitting Android in H1 2010.

So we now know that Flash will be rolling out with Android Froyo, but what phones will get it? Certainly the Nexus One will probably get Froyo as soon as it's ready. The Droid/Milestone will probably get it soon thereafter. Much of the other Android family is either based on older hardware, or runs a custom skin (like HTC Sense) that requires manufacturers to rollout their own updates. We'll be watching how Adobe and Google proceed with great interest. Are you aching to get Flash on your mobile phone?