Android users running Froyo, Gingerbread or Honeycomb, head to the Android Market for your Friday treat. Adobe has just confirmed Flash 10.2 is now available for download, free of course. The update promises faster Flash content, better battery life and even 720p playback in a “matter of weeks”.
Contrary to popular belief, you do not need a dual-core smartphone (or tablet) to take advantage of Flash 10.2. Speaking to Engadget, Adobe VP Danny Winokur debunked this rumor and confirmed in testing there is a “slight performance improvement on earlier devices too”.
Although the improvement can be seen across all devices 2.2 or higher, testing Flash video proved to be much more beneficial on the Motorola Xoom. 480p video playback was described as “perfectly smooth”, whereas 480p content on a Motorola Droid 2 improved from “unwatchable” to “fairly jerky”.
In related news, Flash integration into Google’s Honeycomb browser is currently a work in progress. Adobe’s goal is to make Flash video play exactly the same inside and outside of the browser once Flash 10.2 is finalized. For now, enjoy the update and expect the world of Adobe Flash support to only get better on Android.
