Yesterday, Adobe’s principal product manager Mike Chambers wrote in a blog post that Adobe is no longer investing in iPhone-based Flash development. Adobe will still provide the ability to target the iPhone and iPad in Flash but there are no plans for future investments in that feature. In the post he said,
… as developers for the iPhone have learned, if you want to develop for the iPhone you have to be prepared for Apple to reject or restrict your development at anytime, and for seemingly any reason. In just the past week Apple also changed its licensing terms to essentially prohibit ad networks other than its own on the iPhone.
Mr. Chambers said he does not believe that all of their work on the iPhone packager was a waste of time stating that:
- There is no technical reason that Flash can’t run on the iPhone
- Developers can create well performing and compelling content for the device with Flash
Adobe will now focus on Flash development for Android instead. They are working closely with Google to bring Flash Player 10.1 and Adobe AIR to the Motorola Droid and Nexus One phones and the Android based tablets due to be released this year.
As you probably know, Apple and Adobe have been having verbal fisticuffs for a while now. Steve Jobs is reported to have said at the time of the iPad tablet unveiling, that Flash is too buggy and HTML 5 is the future and made several digs at Adobe. Adobe have not taken it lying down and have of course defended Flash and complained that Apple are uncooperative. The heat was turned up further earlier this month when Adobe evangelist Lee Brimelow jumped right off the fence and “Speaking purely for myself, I would look to make it clear what is going through my mind at the moment. Go screw yourself Apple.” Adobe distanced themselves from that particular comment but I’m sure the sentiment was shared behind closed doors.
Will it come to pistols at dawn between Apple and Adobe?
Jennifer FarleyJennifer Farley is a designer, illustrator and design instructor based in Ireland. She writes about design and illustration on her blog at Laughing Lion Design.
