skyyaa

Remember the Droid branding happened at a time when the smart phone industry was still very nascent. And only in the U.S. too. Now, Android has established itself as the clear number two (or one if you want to argue) mobile OS, in terms of app support and users (which attracts more app support – hey, a virtuous cycle!). You can’t build mindshare and an app ecosystem overnight. That makes it much more difficult for carriers or OEMs to just throw Android overboard. Look at the leverage Apple enjoys over carriers –think the carriers are happy about that? But there’s no way they’d stop selling iPhones and start pushing WP harder. Android and Google are in a similar position, albeit not as powerful since Google doesn’t control both hardware and software (until now) and doesn’t have a single lead device.

My point was not that Google should take anything away from the OEMs – by all accounts, the system will keep operating just like it always has. But, if they switch Moto’s entire line-up to stock, they’ll be much easier to keep up to date, and that gives them another tool to put pressure on the OEMs to iterate and stay updated too (just like the goal of the original Nexus!). And with the new Nexus program, the OEMs can’t call foul.

Win-win-win.

True, that’s definitely something that should be on Google’s radar. But as long as the Play Store is the best place to get and sell Android apps (and movies and music), Samsung and HTC can’t afford to cut it and go it alone. Same with the suite of Gapps – as long as Gmail, Calendar, Maps, and Music (debatable there) are the best in-class, Google maintains their leverage. That fear should be incentive enough to maintain those leads – if Google knows what’s good for them that is!

1 and 2 depend on how much Verizon’s good relationship with Moto has had to do with a shared love for Blur. There’s no reason the Droid brand can’t continue on devices with stock Android. I don’t expect there to be an overnight de-Blurring, but the new Motorola could phase it out slowly and move towards stock while continuing the Droid brand and keeping phones locked (thus keeping Verizon happy). That’d still be huge improvement and allow Google to influence the other OEMs.

*know how

I don’t how the OEMs could be angry about more stock Android devices — they all have that option. And they can’t get upset about early access to new Android code because the new expanded Nexus program (if it actually happens) would give everyone equally early access to new Android code.

Yea, how dare he write a book!