News Analysis: Flash is making its way to Android 2.2. And with it come a number of market responses that could make or break both Adobe and Android. Here are 10 of them, for good or ill.
Adobe's Flash platform is making its way to more Android-based devices,
thanks to Android 2.2. For those that have criticized Apple for not allowing
Flash onto iOS, the advent of Flash on Android 2.2 is a good thing. According
to these Flash supporters, it will substantially improve the browsing
experience on smartphones.
But not everyone sees that way. Some say that Flash is little more than a
security hole that will cause more trouble than it's worth. While these people
would like to watch the vast majority of videos and games that aren't capable
of being displayed on an iPhone, they believe that Apple's influence will help
make HTML 5 the go-to service in the coming years. To them, Flash means little.
Given the many differences in opinions on the viability of Flash, it becomes
clear that there are several potential outcomes of its presence in the mobile
market once all is said and done. It might be an outright failure, or it could
be a success that forces Apple to pay attention.
Let's take a look at some
possible
outcomes of Google offering Flash in Android 2.2.
1. Adobe wins
There is a chance that Adobe could have been right all along, and by
offering Flash on Android it can prove that the mobile market is ready for its
service. For a while, Adobe has been saying that it has what it takes to
succeed in the mobile world. And it's been Apple that has claimed Flash still
isn't ready. If Flash works well, consumers like it, and there aren't any
security problems, Adobe will win that debate and make Apple look bad.
2. Security issues erupt
Apple has said time and again that part of the problem with Flash is that it
causes
security
issues for any platform it's running on. That has been one of the main
reasons Apple has opted against Flash on iOS. So far, Flash has been untested
in the mobile market. If, over time, Android starts seeing security issues
because of Flash, Apple will be proven right and Adobe will be in trouble. For
its part, Adobe says Flash won't cause any security problems. But, only time
will tell.
3. Consumers don't care
There is a real chance that Android 2.2's addition of Flash will be lost on
consumers. The technology might be desired by some who don't like the browsing
experience on the iPhone, but, given the popularity of Apple's smartphone, it
doesn't seem all that big of a problem for most owners of the device. It's
possible that some consumers won't care that Google has added Flash to its new
operating system. They will find out about it, go to a few sites to see how it
works, and move on. If that happens, all the debate over Adobe's service will
mean little.
4. Consumers expect it in every phone
At the same time, consumers might be happy to see Flash come to Android once
they start surfing to all the many sites they currently can't access on an
iPhone. They
might
get their hands on an Android 2.2-based device, load up all the sites they
never could before, and fall in love with mobile Chrome. After all, Google has
been saying that, with the help of Flash, Android provides the best browsing
experience in the mobile market. Maybe it will be true.
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