Skyfire Now Available: Browse Flash-Packed Sites In Style On Your iPhone
by Joe White
November 3, 2010
Skyfire, the Flash-enabled iOS browser we told you about a couple of days ago, has just been approved and is available now in the App Store for $2.99.
As many of you know, Steve doesn't like Adobe Flash. In fact, he dislikes Flash so much, he's banned it from iDevices, and is even shipping new MacBook Air models without Flash installed. The lack of a Flash-enabled iOS browser might have been something of a problem for iPhone users, until now.
Skyfire Web Browser converts Flash content into HTML5, and then plays it on your iPhone. Skyfire's developers have noted in the app's release notes that it should take around "15-20 seconds" for a Flash video to work. I've tried Skyfire out, and it took me a heck of a lot longer to load up an episode of The Daily Show. I've even come across some Flash videos which out-and-out won't work with Skyfire, which is worrying. However, with other videos, Skyfire works perfectly.
When you come across a video which requires Adobe Flash, you touch an icon at the bottom of the browser, and Skyfire switches to a different screen, where it loads your video (screenshot included below).
Unfortunately, Skyfire doesn't work with Hulu or Vimeo, nor will it work with Flash apps or games. However, it does come with some pretty cool social networking features. Users can share a page with Facebook or Twitter in-app, and a Facebook "Quickview" menu allows Skyfire fans to view their wall, also from within the application. These are some nice features, which users of the app will undoubtedly appreciate.
If you're thinking of investing in Skyfire Web Browser, you should definitely be aware that it doesn't work perfectly all the time. In fact, sometimes it doesn't work at all. However, with perseverance, it is possible to load up a Flash video using Skyfire. You've just got to keep trying.
Skyfire Web Browser (iPhone) is currently available in the App Store for $2.99. If you decide to purchase this app, be sure to let us know how it works for you in the comments below. We'd love to hear!
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***Update
After only 5 hours, Skyfire is now sold out. Check here for more details.