Adobe to halt mobile Flash development, focus instead on HTML5

In a move sure to please the Apple faithful, Adobe has announced that it will cease development of its mobile Flash media format, instead focusing on HTML5. Apple's mobile devices such as the iPhone and iPad are incompatible with Flash, and the digital standoff between the two companies has even prompted statements from both sides to clarify their stance.

Competing platforms such as Android and BlackBerry have used the ability to play Flash content as a big bullet point in their war against Apple's gadgets. Now, with the focus on HTML5 for mobile browsing, Apple should be on an even browser playing field with the rest of the tablet and smartphone crowd.

In a statement released by Adobe, the company emphasized the universal compatibility of HTML5 as a major reason for the decision. Flash Player 11.1 will be released in the coming days for Android and BlackBerry devices, but that will be the last official update of mobile Flash to come out of Adobe. The desktop version of Flash will continue to see development, and the press release hints that Flash Player 12 is already on the way.