Adobe Flash Player Initiative for Smartphones Launched, But iPhone Not Included

PC World reports on Adobe's launch of Flash Player 10.1, which aims to integrate the Flash experience across a wide range of devices, including smartphones. The initiative also includes the Open Screen Project, which brings together nearly 50 companies aiming to create a consistent user experience for Flash across the various platforms.

Notably absent from the smartphone aspects of today's announcements is Apple, which has not supported Flash on the iPhone OS since its launch despite reports that the two companies have continued to work toward a functional solution.

iPhone owners, however, aren't so lucky. Adobe said that they are still working to make the Flash Player compatible on the iPhone OS, but are hindered by limitations within the platform.

The report also notes some of the features supported by Flash Player 10.1 that Apple may be very interested in taking advantage of given the already advanced capabilities of the iPhone platform.

Flash Player 10.1 opens up some interesting multimedia possibilities for other platforms. The player supports multitouch, accelerometer and screen orientation, all of which makes for the optimal video-watching experience. It also supports gesture-based controls, which is a boon for gaming. Adobe said that the player won't be a drain on battery life, either.