Since the launch of the iPhone, naysayers have focused on a single weakness: the lack of Flash support on all iOS devices. Competitors, namely Android, have been touting the "complete" web experience to attract more users to join their cause. But we can't deny the number of iOS devices that have been sold despite this supposed "Achille's heel."
Amongst the Apartment Therapy team, we've got both Android and iOS users (even a couple of Windows Phone 7 users, if you can believe it). And with our extensive long term experience with both of the major platforms, our verdict is: it doesn't really matter.
In our experience, the most common use amongst everyday users for Flash is watching embedded videos. Since the majority of the videos posted are from YouTube, we don't really have an issue watching those videos. And other video hosting sites such as Vimeo have followed suit and embraced HTML5 as the new standard for video playback. We actually prefer using the finger-friendly iOS controls to watch videos. Trying to peck away at the teeny-tiny YouTube controls ruins the tablet experience. So in our opinion, in terms of web video, you won't be missing anything if you're on an iOS device.
That being said, if you're really committed to watching/using Flash on your iOS device, there have been some work arounds using jailbroken devices permitting Flash use.
How about websites that still use Flash extensively? We admit it does get a bit annoying when we come across a site that we can't browse on an iOS device. But for those of you who've had some hands-on time with an Android tablet know the Flash experience on any tablet isn't glitch free.
Multitouch on Android tablets with the Flash controls are still glitchy. And try watching a YouTube video that is embedded on an Android device, the controls are so small that we often miss the iOS experience. The experience on a smartphone even more painful that we usually just give up and use our laptops.
With the web transitioning to a new standard and the major players in the industry committing to HTML5 (note the lack of Flash support on WP7 devices), we surely will miss Flash less and less. For now, Android users frustrated with the Flash experience on the stock browser can check out Skyfire browser. Skyfire uses the power of cloud to transcode Flash videos into HTML5 codes, making the controls more finger friendly.Or simply download the native apps from sites such as YouTube and Vimeo.
What do you think about having Flash on your mobile devices? Is it essential or is it secondary? Let us know in the comments below!
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Flash won't go away until two things happen: 1) IE7/8 goes away and 2) code is protected.
wow.. not really sure I've experienced all these android issues...
And to be fair, this is one of the last "benefits" of android over iPhone that I mention (if at all).
Ever since Adobe themselves abandoned support for mobile/tablet flash, this has been a non-issue for me. If even Adobe can't find a leg to stand on with their own product in the mobile/tablet arena, I think we'll quickly see the demise of it in favor of HTML5. Correct, flash won't go away 100%, but as mobile traffic rises even more than it already has, intelligent site owners won't want to stick with a technology that only works in traditional desktop browsers.
http://techcrunch.com/2011/11/08/mobile-flash-is-coming-soon-i-swear/
I have an iPhone and an iPad... What's "Flash" again? I hadn't noticed it being an issue... ;o)
@8nnoyed - it's something you do to get custom ROMs on your phone.. being an iPhone user, you wouldn't understand ;)
iOS users who claim to not need flash are either liars or just don't use their devices very much. Many times when I've gone to a stores website while out in town to look up their address or their opening/closing times invariably it's only available in flash. Once I went in to buy a new kitchen gadget but when I got to the store there were many more similar gadgets and I forgot which one it was I had exactly decided on at home - the entire website for this gadget is in flash, thankfully I had Android and could browse the site and confirm which one I wanted to buy. If I had had an iOS device I would have had to give up and go back home.
I don't believe a single iOS user when they say they don't miss flash, they do but then pretend it's not an issue for them. Flash is used on many many sites and claiming to have never hit it as a problem on their iOS device is clearly an exaggeration.
"iOS users who claim to not need flash are either liars or just don't use their devices very much."
I use my iOS devices daily and Flash support is never a big issue, and frankly I don't like being called a liar.
Pretty much the only local business sites that still use Flash are restaurants that I probably don't want to visit anyway.
@Atanguay You just proved my point, "they do but then pretend it's not an issue for them". Now you're saying "well if they use flash on their website I don't want to visit" thereby making an excuse for it. It's quite sad that you have that attitude really, meanwhile other people will judge restaurants by their food and service, not that their contracted webmaster decided to use flash or not.
The lack of flash support is an issue for me.
But that aside, iOS is also completely closed and that's the real issue. Also, the iphone really was revolutionary when it was released four years ago, but having an iphone 4s now it's just really aggravating in so many ways. The UI just hasn't evolved well enough. Windows phone is in all actuality a better interface and OS. Sure, there's not nearly the number of applications on it right now, but give it two years.
iOS in the mean time has been pretty dead in the water. They've made some minor upgrades to the OS (like finally being able to copy/paste text), but overall it's a muddy and clunky experience compared to metro UI.
And Android is like the cheap copycat of iOS that gives you want you want, but at the cost of it being a pleasant experience. I'm not saying that it's awful, because it's gotten better, but it isn't innovative. Both platforms take strong inspiration from the desktop experience.
So yeah, I'm not a huge fan of iOS. It's aggravating in the way it limits what I can and can't do in terms of productivity. And yeah, a lack of flash really gets in the way. With flash I could have all the functionality of the hundred or so 99 cent apps Apple wants me to buy. The battery life on the 4s is so poor already they can't really say flash would make it that much worse at this point.
by SWRX
"iOS users who claim to not need flash are either liars or just don't use their devices very much."
Far from reality. If I come across a website that uses Flash video, I just change my User Agent in Safari to iPad. 9 times out of 10, the video will render in .mov. Perfect example is YouTube.
I'm on my MacBook Air at least 8 hours a day. Haven't missed nor needed Flash for quite some time now. It's not even installed on my PC. One less headache.
Ed
Took me a second to understand your pictorial representation of "no flash" but I got there eventually. Maybe this is everywhere but it's the first time I've seen it, it's great :)
The sooner we see the end of flash, the better. I've never bothered to learn it, as all of my time is spent on back end / application development. Why microsoft won't let windows XP users use IE 9 / 10 is beyond me - they are forcing that market to install an additional non-ie browser.
very rarely do i go to website that wont load on my ipad. when i do i just use my computer later. i think its a non issue
multiple times have I been using the girlfriends ipad/iphone to look up a website just to have to resort to my android phone.
As long as flash exists on the web, I think it is relevant for a device to support it. I don't care if it's 1 in 100 sites that won't load properly on an apple product, that's enough to annoy me.
Saying "my phone doesn't have this feature, therefore I don't want it", or similar, is a way of thinking I'm always as surprised to hear outside of the kiddies playground. I get furious when I get the error message that this or that content does not display on my laptop. Oh how I wish everyone would just use the same standard.
I don't buy the comments lauding their android phone as a flash compass of the web.
Flash runs like garbage on my desktop so I removed the plugin and only launch chrome when I stumble upon a site that HAS to use flash - which is seldom. And no, I didnt install clicktoflash, i just got rid of the thing. I can do all of my online banking, shopping, and surfing without touching flash. Been without it for over a year. Every now and then I have to launch Nike+ with chrome and my fans spin like crazy. Flash has got to go.
Meanwhile the next version of Galaxy Dingus probably won't support flash (or it's current iteration). Which makes the "flash runs exactly the same on my evo as my quad core i7 16gb DDRam nvidia 1gb xps" argument a little empty when it causes my battery to drain faster than running illustrator without a power adapter.