Adobe Flash Lite

<h2 id="technical-overview">Technical overview</h2>
Flash Lite is a development technology implemented at the <a href="/facts/Client-side/v7DVfjsH">client-side</a>, or user interface layer. Recent changes to <a href="/facts/ActionScript/xtDQb0wR">ActionScript</a> allow Flash Lite to better integrate with and even compete with device-layer technologies like <a href="/facts/Java_Platform,_Micro_Edition/wsJJf7lq">Java ME</a> and <a href="/facts/Binary_Runtime_Environment_for_Wireless/SMSgLsPI">BREW</a>. Flash Lite should not be considered a <a href="/facts/Mobile_operating_system/wysBVca1">mobile operating system</a> like <a href="/facts/Symbian/gbRl35V9">Symbian OS</a>, <a href="/facts/Windows_Mobile/YfskR7FS">Windows Mobile</a>, <a href="/facts/BlackBerry_OS/lqAPkYPT">BlackBerry OS</a>, <a href="/facts/IOS/mK5cggH5">iOS (iPhone OS)</a>, <a href="/facts/Bada_(operating_system)/ABo74Jlz">Bada (Samsung)</a> or <a href="/facts/Android_(operating_system)/nNyHb0xz">Android</a>: it is a technology for developing applications that run on a mobile operating system.
Some features available in Flash are not available in Flash Lite, and Flash Lite has some features specifically for mobile devices.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:1" href="#fn:1">1</a>
In addition to Flash Lite, which is typically incorporated into a mobile device operating system as provided by the manufacturer, the full Adobe Flash Player may also be available for installation from the mobile device's application store (and currently only if the device has an <a href="/facts/ARM_Cortex-A8/vM6beXwg">ARM Cortex-A8</a> processor).<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:2" href="#fn:2">2</a>

<h3>Version history</h3>
Flash Lite 1.1 supports Flash 4 ActionScript.
Flash Lite 2.0, based on Flash Player 7, supports Flash 7's newer ActionScript 2.0. Both Flash Lite 1.1 and 2.0 also support the <a href="/facts/World_Wide_Web_Consortium/lGWmhF6M">World Wide Web Consortium</a>'s Standard <a href="/facts/SVG_Tiny/ARq5C3YV">SVG Tiny</a>, a mobile profile of the consortium's <a href="/facts/Scalable_Vector_Graphics/ARq5C3YV">Scalable Vector Graphics</a> (SVG) recommendation. Unlike SVG, Flash Lite can add audio and interactive elements without the use of other technologies such as <a href="/facts/JavaScript/XhhIIEsl">JavaScript</a>. As with Flash, Flash Lite is able to read and redraw external <a href="/facts/XML/clNgUfWk">XML</a> content.
Flash Lite 3 is based on Flash 8, which lessens the gap between mobile and desktop content by supporting H.264 video standard, as well as <a href="/facts/On2_Technologies/IDyBFK8S">On2</a> <a href="/facts/VP6/R3k0w8KU">VP6</a> and <a href="/facts/Sorenson_codec/Io1gh5kb">Sorenson</a> video codecs. Flash Lite 3 also introduces support for <a href="/facts/Flash_Video/rbbPoE7H">FLV</a> video content (as used by YouTube and Google Video).
Flash Lite 4.0 supports ActionScript 3 and is a browser plugin, rather than a standalone player. It further extends the Flash Lite's features with multi-touch support, an advanced text rendering engine and a geolocation interface.

<h2 id="history">History</h2>
In 2005, <a href="/facts/Adobe_Systems/Bj1d5XvJ">Adobe Systems</a> completed its acquisition of <a href="/facts/Macromedia/MDTnKa0k">Macromedia</a>, the original developers of Flash. At that time, Flash Lite had been available to mobile users in Japan and Europe for some time prior to its availability in the United States. <a href="/facts/NTT_DoCoMo/vW4uaTaj">NTT DoCoMo</a> was the first carrier to adopt Flash Lite in May 2003.
As a promotion for Flash Lite in February 2005, <a href="/facts/Macromedia/MDTnKa0k">Macromedia</a> conducted its first Mobile Flash Content Contest. From the over 150 applications submitted, nine winners were selected in areas of Best Business and Productivity Application, Most Innovative use of Flash Lite, Best Animation, Best Business Application, Best Educational Content, Best Game, Best Interactive Content, Best Productivity Application, and Best Overall Use of Flash Lite.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:3" href="#fn:3">3</a>
In May 2006, the <a href="/facts/Iriver_clix/U0SE8ocw">iriver U10</a> (later re-branded as the iriver clix) was released, which supported Flash Lite content in a landscape <a href="/facts/Page_orientation/6L6xLJv8">page orientation</a>. The U10 was the first <a href="/facts/Portable_media_player/2yHdHHKv">digital audio player</a> to support Flash Lite.
In 2005, almost 100% of Flash Lite enabled devices were found in Japan. In February 2007, Adobe claimed that over 70% of Flash Lite devices were shipped outside Japan.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:4" href="#fn:4">4</a>
In October 2006, <a href="/facts/Verizon_Wireless/3I3kcgEm">Verizon Wireless</a> announced support for Flash Lite,<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:5" href="#fn:5">5</a> making it the first operator in the US to adopt the technology. Flash Lite was initially available on four handset models (<a href="/facts/Motorola_RAZR/IPtxloPc">Motorola RAZR V3c and V3m</a>, Samsung SCH-a950 and <a href="/facts/LG_The_V_(VX9800)/F5EK1seU">LG The V (VX9800)</a>) as a <a href="/facts/Binary_Runtime_Environment_for_Wireless/SMSgLsPI">BREW</a> extension. This allows users to download Flash Lite applications from Verizon's "<a href="/facts/Verizon_Wireless/3I3kcgEm">Get It Now</a>" service, but it does not allow users to view Flash objects from their <a href="/facts/Web_browser/2pfyymLs">web browser</a>.
In February 2007, Adobe announced at the <a href="/facts/Mobile_World_Congress/79JBwHG2">3GSM World Congress</a> in Barcelona that the next release of Flash Lite (version 3) would support video, including streaming video.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:6" href="#fn:6">6</a> In October 2007, Adobe announced the release of Flash Lite 3.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:7" href="#fn:7">7</a>
At Adobe's 2007 Financial Analyst Meeting, Al Ramadan, then senior vice-president of Adobe's Mobile and Voice Solutions Business Unit, announced that by December 2006, 220 million Flash Lite devices had been shipped. He also noted Adobe's acquisition of certain <a href="/facts/Vector_graphics/y8ok7M2P">vector rendering</a> technology by <a href="/facts/Actimagine/syT15LNG">Actimagine</a>, intended to reduce the Flash Lite player's <a href="/facts/Memory_footprint/wnS6TgpY">memory footprint</a> in future versions.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:8" href="#fn:8">8</a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:9" href="#fn:9">9</a>
As of March 2008, neither Adobe nor <a href="/facts/Verizon_Wireless/3I3kcgEm">Verizon Wireless</a> have announced the availability of <a href="https://www.alltechnerd.com/html5-video-players/">Adobe Flash Cast</a>, per the February 2007 press release for availability by the end of calendar year 2007. In the same month, <a href="/facts/Steve_Jobs/fQpja1hx">Steve Jobs</a> described Flash Lite as "not capable of being used with the Web."<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:10" href="#fn:10">10</a>
In September 2009, <a href="/facts/Opera_Software/zMm27v03">Opera Software</a> integrated Flash Lite 3.1 in the <a href="/facts/Internet_Channel/TltHn2kK">Internet Channel</a> application for the <a href="/facts/Wii/BxUgl2da">Wii</a> gaming console.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:11" href="#fn:11">11</a>

<h3>Versions</h3>
<ul><li>Macromedia Flash Lite 1.0
<ul><li>Based on Flash Player 4</li></ul></li>
<li>Macromedia Flash Lite 1.1</li>
<li>Macromedia Flash Lite 2.0 (December 2005)
<ul><li>Released in 2005, which brought its capabilities in line with Flash Player 7</li></ul></li>
<li>Adobe Flash Lite 2.1 (December 2006)
<ul><li>Running on the <a href="/facts/Binary_Runtime_Environment_for_Wireless/SMSgLsPI">BREW</a> platform</li></ul></li>
<li>Adobe Flash Lite 3 (Announced in February 2007)
<ul><li>Support for <a href="/facts/Flash_Video/rbbPoE7H">FLV</a> transcoding</li>
<li>Equivalent to desktop Flash Player 8</li></ul></li>
<li>Adobe Flash Lite 3.1 (February 2009)<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:12" href="#fn:12">12</a></li>
<li>Adobe Flash Lite 4 has been released (2010) and integrated in <a href="/facts/Symbian/gbRl35V9">Symbian^3</a> (<a href="/facts/Nokia_N8/PavN4VRU">Nokia N8</a>, <a href="/facts/Nokia_E7-00/XzrQBXMJ">Nokia E7</a>, <a href="/facts/Nokia_600/ysXYFUn6">Nokia 600</a>, <a href="/facts/Nokia_700/Sfrr5GWN">Nokia 700</a>, <a href="/facts/Nokia_701/T76SmuJI">Nokia 701</a>)<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:13" href="#fn:13">13</a>
<ul><li>Has ActionScript 3.0 support</li></ul></li></ul>
The following table documents historical support for Flash Lite on <a href="/facts/Mobile_operating_system/wysBVca1">mobile operating systems</a>:

<h2 id="project-capuchin">Project Capuchin</h2>
On April 30, 2008, <a href="/facts/Sony_Mobile_Communications/RX3xYCDy">Sony Ericsson</a> announced Project Capuchin,<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:14" href="#fn:14">14</a> a bridge that allows Flash Lite to run as a front-end to <a href="/facts/Java_Platform,_Micro_Edition/wsJJf7lq">Java ME</a> and in this way, combine Java's <a href="/facts/Application_programming_interface/GMlN4vUr">APIs</a> and direct communication with the mobile phone's hardware (<a href="/facts/Bluetooth/sWAjpMrj">Bluetooth</a>, <a href="/facts/Wi-Fi/u94quCsx">Wi-Fi</a> and others) with Flash's graphical interface.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:15" href="#fn:15">15</a>

<h2 id="see-also">See also</h2>
<ul><li><a href="/facts/SWF/5qwLlUC5">SWF</a> file format, the files generated by the Flash application</li></ul>

<h2 id="external-links">External links</h2>
<ul><li><a href="http://www.flashdevices.net">Bill Perry - Flash Lite Evangelist for Asia, Japan and the Americas</a></li>
<li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20101122161458/http://www.flashmobileblog.com/">Mark Doherty - Flash Lite Evangelist for Europe, Middle East and Africa</a>[usurped]</li>
<li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20100526180230/http://www.adobe.com/devnet/devices/articles/developing_for_brew.html">Adobe article on Developing Flash Lite for BREW applications for Verizon Wireless</a></li></ul>

<h2 id="references">References</h2>

<ol>
<li id="fn:1">"Flash Lite 4 Features". Archived from the original on 2011-08-23. Retrieved 2011-07-23. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110823104526/http://help.adobe.com/en_US/flashlite/dev/4/WS58a04a822e3e5010cf686a7122f627160e-7ffb.html" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20110823104526/http://help.adobe.com/en_US/flashlite/dev/4/WS58a04a822e3e5010cf686a7122f627160e-7ffb.html</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:2">"Flash Player 10.1 – Installations and updates". Archived from the original on 5 March 2010. Retrieved 16 October 2016. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20100305134645/http://www.flashmobileblog.com/2010/03/02/flash-player-10-1-installations-and-updates" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20100305134645/http://www.flashmobileblog.com/2010/03/02/flash-player-10-1-installations-and-updates</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:3">Adobe Mobile Flash Content Contest Winners Archived September 9, 2005, at the Wayback Machine <a href="http://www.macromedia.com/devnet/devices/articles/flashlite_winners.html" target="_blank">http://www.macromedia.com/devnet/devices/articles/flashlite_winners.html</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:4">"Adobe's Mobile Flash Technology Now Seeing Growth in Europe and North America". Adobe Systems. 2007-02-12. Archived from the original on 2016-03-05. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20160305024438/https://www.adobe.com/aboutadobe/pressroom/pressreleases/200702/0212073GSM.html" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20160305024438/https://www.adobe.com/aboutadobe/pressroom/pressreleases/200702/0212073GSM.html</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:5">"Verizon Wireless Customers Can Now "Flash-Enable" Their Phones With New Get It Now Applications". Verizon. 2006-10-25. Archived from the original on 2010-02-02. Retrieved 2007-11-15. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20100202173245/http://investor.verizon.com/news/view.aspx?NewsID=782" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20100202173245/http://investor.verizon.com/news/view.aspx?NewsID=782</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:6">"Upcoming Release of Flash Lite to Integrate Video Playback Capabilities". Adobe Systems. 2007-02-12. Archived from the original on 2016-03-05. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20160305023832/https://www.adobe.com/aboutadobe/pressroom/pressreleases/200702/021207FlashVideo.html" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20160305023832/https://www.adobe.com/aboutadobe/pressroom/pressreleases/200702/021207FlashVideo.html</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:7">"Flash Player for Mobile Devices Delivers High-Impact Video and Dynamic Web Content". Adobe Systems. 2007-10-01. Archived from the original on 2014-07-03. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20140703054604/http://www.adobe.com/aboutadobe/pressroom/pressreleases/200709/100107FlashLite3.html" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20140703054604/http://www.adobe.com/aboutadobe/pressroom/pressreleases/200709/100107FlashLite3.html</a> <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:8">"Adobe Presentation on business opportunities in mobile" (PDF). Adobe Systems. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-10-12. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20121012152810/http://www.adobe.com/aboutadobe/invrelations/2007_analyst_mtg/pdfs/Al_Ramadan.pdf" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20121012152810/http://www.adobe.com/aboutadobe/invrelations/2007_analyst_mtg/pdfs/Al_Ramadan.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:9">"2007 Financial Analyst Meeting". Archived from the original on 2014-01-28. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20140128062932/http://www.adobe.com/aboutadobe/invrelations/2007_analyst_mtg/2007analystmeeting.html" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20140128062932/http://www.adobe.com/aboutadobe/invrelations/2007_analyst_mtg/2007analystmeeting.html</a> <a href="#fnref:9" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:10">"No Flash for iPhone - Jobs" Archived 2010-08-10 at the Wayback Machine MacWorld UK <a href="http://www.macworld.co.uk/ipod-itunes/news/index.cfm?RSS&NewsID=20634" target="_blank">http://www.macworld.co.uk/ipod-itunes/news/index.cfm?RSS&NewsID=20634</a> <a href="#fnref:10" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:11">Scott Janousek » Blog Archive » Nintendo Wii Flash Player supported via Opera updated to Flash Lite 3.1 (Flash 8/9) Archived September 13, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. Flashmobile.scottjanousek.com (September 1, 2009). Retrieved on March 11, 2011. <a href="http://flashmobile.scottjanousek.com/2009/09/01/nintendo-wii-flash-player-supported-via-opera-updated-to-flash-lite-3-1-flash-89/" target="_blank">http://flashmobile.scottjanousek.com/2009/09/01/nintendo-wii-flash-player-supported-via-opera-updated-to-flash-lite-3-1-flash-89/</a> <a href="#fnref:11" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:12">Press Room: For immediate release Archived 2014-05-04 at the Wayback Machine. Adobe (2009-02-16). Retrieved on 2013-12-09. <a href="https://www.adobe.com/aboutadobe/pressroom/pressreleases/200902/021609FlashLiteDistr.html" target="_blank">https://www.adobe.com/aboutadobe/pressroom/pressreleases/200902/021609FlashLiteDistr.html</a> <a href="#fnref:12" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:13">Symbian ^3 Archived January 2, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. Adobe Flash Lite (April 27, 2010). Retrieved on March 11, 2011. <a href="http://www.adobe-flashlite.com/?tag=symbian-3" target="_blank">http://www.adobe-flashlite.com/?tag=symbian-3</a> <a href="#fnref:13" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:14">Sony Ericsson's new Project Capuchin bridges Java ME and Flash Lite[permanent dead link‍] <a href="http://developer.sonyericsson.com/site/global/newsandevents/latestnews/newsapr08/p_project_capuchin_announcement.jsp" target="_blank">http://developer.sonyericsson.com/site/global/newsandevents/latestnews/newsapr08/p_project_capuchin_announcement.jsp</a> <a href="#fnref:14" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:15">Macworld | Sony Ericsson combines Java and Flash <a href="http://www.macworld.com/article/133226/2008/04/sonyeric.html" target="_blank">http://www.macworld.com/article/133226/2008/04/sonyeric.html</a> <a href="#fnref:15" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
</ol>

Adobe Flash Lite open-in-new

Adobe Flash Lite