HTC Hero first Android device with Flash support

The HTC Hero Android powered phone with Flash support. Adobe and mobile phone manufacturer HTC have brought Flash to the Android platform with the launch of the new HTC Hero mobile phone, the first Android device to support the Flash Platform. According to Adobe, nearly 80 per cent of all videos online today are delivered in Flash and Adobe Flash Player content reaches over 98 per cent of Internet-enabled desktops. The HTC Hero phone will include Flash Lite 3.1 which supports several audio and video codecs, including the Sorenson and On2 VP6 codecs used by Flash on the desktop for higher quality playback. Interactive content enabled using Adobe's ActionScript 2.0 is also supported.

The newly launched HTC Hero features GPS, a digital compass, a gravity-sensor, a 5 mega-pixel camera, a 3.5mm audio headset jack and includes HTC Sense, the first customised user interface for Android-based phones. HTC also plans to use the Sense interface in future releases "across a portfolio of phones". The HTC Hero is expected to launch in Europe next month and in Asia later in the summer. According to HTC, a "distinct North American version" will be released later in 2009.

More information on Flash on the Android platform can be found in the Adobe Press Release along with a short introductory video by Flash team member Adrian Ludwig. However no information was released as to whether or not existing Android devices like the HTC Dream (AKA the T-Mobile G1) or HTC Magic (AKA the T-Mobile myTouch) will get Flash support via a software update.

(crve)