Skyfire says video plays better on its browser than on Flash

With many Android owners sitting on pins and needles, waiting for the Android 2.2 upgrade that will give them support for Flash, there already is an app in the Android Market that will play videos smoothly and quickly. Of course, we're talking about the Skyfire Browser for Android. Half a million users of Google's open source OS have downloaded the app and Skyfire claims that the browser renders video faster than Flash and does so in a manner that saves on battery life. After a Flash-video is detected by the browser, it re-encodes it through HTML5 and sends it to your mobile device for playback. Unfortunately, the browser only detects Flash video. Games and advertisements will have to wait for Flash 10.1 to be installed on your phone to be viewed.

Right now, only Nexus One owners can have the pleasure of owning a handset that supports Adobe's Flash 10.1. The rest of the bunch will have to wait, some longer than others. For example, as we told you earlier today, the Motorola DROID should get Android 2.2 which includes Flash 10.1, in late July. While the DROID X will be launched July 15th, as we reported on Wednesday, that super sexy device will get Froyo in late August. So, you can wait and complain and bitch and moan, or you can use a technology that you can get now for free in the Android Market, and catch some of the Flash videos that until now, you have been shut out from watching. Speaking of videos, Skyfire has put together one for your viewing pleasure, right below. You can download the Skyfire browser at the Android Market as we said, or by scanning the QR code at the source link.