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Did Steve Jobs demo a Flash-enabled iPhone 3G?

Did Steve Jobs demo a Flash-enabled iPhone 3G?

Ben Wilson

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

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