Existing users, 
Did Steve Jobs demo a Flash-enabled iPhone 3G?
Posted 12 June 2008 @ 10am in News
Yesterday we pointed out an image on Apple’s Web site that is indicative of an iPhone 3G displaying Adobe Flash content, but may have simply been a case of the company’s graphic design team cropping a Desktop browser image to fit the device’s screen. We’ve now discovered another bit of evidence that, albeit similarly speculative, would seem to show an iPhone 3G making use of Flash.
During Steve Jobs’ keynote address, a speed test was conducted, pitting AT&T 3G speed against AT&T EDGE speed, both tests conducted on an iPhone 3G (one with 3G enabled, the other without). The site Jobs chose to render was nationalgeographic.com.
On current iPhones running OS 1.1.4, and in the iPhone Simulator included with the iPhone SDK, nationalgeographic.com renders with a picture of a cheetah and the message “This presentation requires Flash. Download free Flash player.” On the keynote-demonstrated iPhone 3G, however, the site renders the same cheetah image without the “This presentation requires Flash” message. Interesting.
Of course, on a full-fledged Desktop browser with Adobe Flash, an interactive presentation is displayed in place of the cheetah image, so this (like yesterday’s discovery) certainly does not confirm Flash on the iPhone. The situation is still curious though; did Apple edit the graphic on the National Geographic home page to delete the Flash warning? That seems awfully contrived, but not completely surprising.
Once again, judge for yourself:
The current iPhone (OS 1.1.4) rendering nationalgeographic.com:
The iPhone 3G (in Steve Jobs’ keynote) rendering nationalgeographic.com
Feedback? info@iphoneatlas.com.
Print This Post
12 Comments
Posted by squipple
12 June 2008 @ 2pm
Seeing as the actual flash content on this page in a browser on a PC does not contain the image of the cheetah, I’d say they edited out the “This presentation requires Flash” message. Likely as to not amplify the fact that the iphone doesn’t support flash.
Posted by Michael197623
12 June 2008 @ 2pm
National Geographic Channel launched and promotes their mobile website on tv, their mobile website is NGC.mobi (it loads in 5-10 seconds)
.mobi is the .com of the mobile web
Learn more about .mobi at why.mobi
Posted by NetMage--2008
12 June 2008 @ 3pm
You forgot to contrast with a flash-enabled view of the page - which does not show the cheetah picture at all.
So, apparently, Apple did remove the Flash message…
Posted by AceTracer
12 June 2008 @ 6pm
And once again you’re making too much of this.
Posted by BadLikeYaas
12 June 2008 @ 8pm
I think that light bulb add is also flash
Posted by jwardell
13 June 2008 @ 6am
Clearly they just edited out that button from the graphic, and re-hosted the page. That also allowed them to make sure the two phones were fed the same ads as well. If it were actually running flash, you would have seen the navigation at the bottom of that graphic as you see when you go there with your computer.
Posted by SuperSquelch
13 June 2008 @ 6am
If you go to the site on a computer with Flash installed, you see a dynamic “Features” window with some pictures, not the static cheetah pic. I think they just photoshopped the “Download Free Flash Player” logo out of the picture.
Posted by iphonerumor
13 June 2008 @ 6am
It would be a real milestore if apple would introduce flash on iPhone. But, technically speaking, Adobe Flash should only be a part of iPhone 2.0 firmware. If that’s what it is, both the iPhone 3G and iPhone 2.5G is going to receive the same iPhone 2.0 software on or before July 11. Does it mean, both iphones (old and new) will get the flash feature? Let’s hope for it.
Posted by monkey3203
13 June 2008 @ 11am
In the lonely planet post from yesterday, the video on apple’s website shows the same look to the flash region, suggesting it isn’t just a screen shot placed in the image on the iphone.
Posted by bitterrotten
13 June 2008 @ 11am
Stop getting my hopes up. It’s always not until I read the bottom of these posts that the answer is a painfully obvious “no”.
Posted by smengler
24 June 2008 @ 5pm
Sorry, but if you watch the WWDC video, the flash loaded downwards(like an image), not how it really downloads. Also, the flash ad at the top of the webpage didn’t move or change. I wish the iphone and ipod touch had flash as I’m a flash programmer myself. All we can do is hope that they’ll get it right next time. Still, the iphone doesn’t need flash to be the best phone out there.
Posted by epgomez
26 September 2008 @ 11am
Too bad iphone has no flash. nokia and htc already has it. if apple continues to ignore flash on the iphone i’ll sell my iphone and get htc instead. i’m dying to watch my favorite videos on the net but they are all flash.