HTML 5 is an upcoming web standard that will allow for richer graphics, animation, 3D modeling, video playback, geolocation services, drag and drop functionality, and offline storage directly in web browsers without plugins. It offers advantages over Flash like being plugin-independent, lighter/faster loading, search engine friendly, and easier to deploy/edit. Browser support is strong in Safari, Firefox, Chrome, and on mobile devices but weaker in older browsers like IE7 and some versions of Android.