Android Tablets To Get Flash Pre-Installed

Flash Player 10.2 will soon be pre-installed in some tablets running Android 3.0 Honeycomb and available as an over-the-air download for other models, Adobe has confirmed.

Adobe’s announcement came after a furore over Motorola’s Xoom launching without Flash support.

“Consumers are clearly asking for Flash support on tablet devices and the good news is that they won’t have to wait long,” wrote Matt Rozen on Adobe’s Flash Platform Blog. “We are aware of over 50 tablets that will ship in 2011 supporting a full web experience (including Flash support) and Xoom users will be among the first to enjoy this benefit,” he added.

Flash Player 10.2 will offer users of dual-core tablets and smartphones HD Flash video as well as video performance of up to 30 frames per second.

According to Rozen, the software developer has raised its estimates for Flash Player adoption in 2011, expecting to see the software “installed on over 132 million devices by the end of this year”.

Motorola’s Xoom set to launch without Flash

Amid the tablet race, Motorola’s flagship Xoom tablet will make its 24 February debut in the US without Adobe Flash Player, according to US network operator Verizon.

A lack of the software – which substantially differentiates Google’s Android from its main rival Apple’s iOS – could affect the forthcoming tablet device’s sales figures.

“Xoom’s chances to be a major hit suddenly don’t stack up that well,” wrote Daniel Ionescu of PC World, citing its high price of $799 (£496) and the fact that Flash support will be missing initially.

However, it is likely that UK consumers will enjoy “a full web experience” when the Xoom enters the country in the second quarter of 2011.

Upon its arrival in the UK, the 3G version with Wi-Fi capabilities will be sold exclusively by the Carphone Warehouse group, while the Wi-Fi-only model will be available from DSG Group, including Currys and PC World.

Motorola’s Xoom will be the first tablet to run the latest version of google’s Android operating system, Honeycomb, which has been optimised specifically for tablets PCs.