Adobe claims that Flash Lite "dramatically accelerates the delivery of rich content and browsing, and customized user interfaces." Version 2.1, currently shipping, is stated on its data sheet as having a footprint of around 450KB (on Symbian OS), and running best on a device with a 100MHz or faster processor and around 2MB of RAM. Key features listed for version 2.1 include:
- Inline text input support
- XML sockets, for low-latency, high availability data connections
- Built on Flash Player 7
- ActionScript 2.0
- XML data handling
- Improved text formatting
- Shape drawing through ActionScript
- Unicode compliant with support for right to left and other complex languages
- Tighter device integration
- Embedded device fonts
- Dynamic multimedia (images, audio,
video through device-specific codecs)
- Inline video playback by pass-through to local codecs
- Persistent data management
- Stores data for reuse
- Support for industry-leading predictive text engines
Flash Lite 2's architecture
(Click to enlarge)Flash Lite runs on multiple platforms, including Windows Mobile 5, Symbian S60 v2/v3, and Qualcomm BREW 2.x/3.x, among other embedded operating systems, and on a variety of device platforms, according to the company.
Version 3 enhancementsAccording to Adobe, Flash Lite 3 will provide video playback capability; it will add direct support for video streams delivered by the Adobe Flash Media Server, giving users access to a "broad spectrum" of Flash Player compatible content. Additionally, the update will enable videos to be viewed in different forms within the Flash environment, including downloadable video clips, streaming videos, applications with user interfaces based on Flash, or personalized content such as wallpapers or screensavers.
Al Ramadan, Adobe's senior VP for Mobile and Device Solutions, stated, "Video support in Flash Lite will revolutionize the way users engage with mobile content and open up new revenue opportunities for developers worldwide. This release will allow users to view vibrant video content from popular Internet sites like YouTube or MySpace and enable developers to create new, dynamic applications across a variety of mobile and consumer electronics platforms."
Adobe says it expects to release Flash Lite 3 to device manufacturers in the first half of this year. Mobile handsets and consumer electronics devices with support for Flash Lite 3 are expected to reach market by the end of the year.
Pricing was not disclosed.
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