Anything Under The Sun

Recently, Apple announced the launch of its latest operating system for iPhones, named iPhone OS 4. As the newest iteration, expectations naturally run high compared to its predecessors. Reports suggest that the new OS enhances app performance, allowing them to run more efficiently. A notable pride of this update is its multitasking feature. However, despite the advancements in the iPhone OS, users should temper their expectations regarding Flash applications, as they are not supported. Could this be considered a potential flaw in the development of the new OS? A clear statement in section 3.3.1 of the iPhone Developer Program License Agreement sheds light on this matter: Applications may only use Documented APIs in the manner prescribed by Apple and must not use or call any private APIs. Applications must be originally written in Objective-C, C, C++, or JavaScript as executed by the iPhone OS WebKit engine, and only code written in C, C++, and Objective-C may compile and directly link against the Documented APIs (e.g., Applications that link to Documented APIs through an intermediary translation or compatibility layer or tool are prohibited). If this is indeed the case, it is reasonable not to anticipate Flash support in Apple's newly released OS—iPhone OS 4.