[beaned]

True in a way, but Google certainly benefits from having their OS on the majority of the world's smartphones.

A more apt comparison might be Microsoft, who has roughly the same market cap as Apple, while having their operating system be on so many more computers. They sell their OS, not give it away (like Android) so maybe more accurate?

But they don't have the quality, mindshare, or respect that most HN-ers give Apple, so in terms of success it doesn't appear to be just units shipped that matters most.