Flash Coming to iPhone, and It's a Must

Despite its pitfalls, gadget needs integral Web plugin

By Will McCahill, Newser Staff

Posted Sep 30, 2008 8:35 PM CDT

(Newser) – Signs are pointing to a Flash plugin coming to the iPhone sometime soon, Jason Kincaid writes on TechCrunch—but he’s of two minds about the benefits of finally getting “the real web” on Apple’s shiny gadget. Flash is absolutely essential for the internet, he writes, but making its processor work harder “is the last thing the iPhone needs with its already-lackluster battery life.”

The inefficiency of Flash sites often takes away from enjoyment of their coolness, Kincaid notes, and Flash-based ads “can be incredibly intrusive.” But, he concludes, “Apple should include Flash if only for completeness’ sake, while trying to give web developers an incentive to use it sparingly on their mobile sites.”

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All things considered, Kincaid writes, leaving Flash off the iPhone would rob users of the full Web experience. ((c) M@rcopako)

QuickPwnin' ((c) Javier Aroche)

The iPhone doesn't support Flash-enabled sites, but Jason Kincaid reads in an announcement today at a developers conference that it's on the way%u2014and, all things considered, would be a good addition. (AP Photo)

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Flash is notoriously CPU-intensive, which is the last thing the iPhone needs with its already-lackluster battery life. - Jason Kincaid

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Flash Coming to iPhone, and It's a Must