[timschmidt]

I don't see how any choice the Linux developers make forces phone manufacturers to do anything.

It's their choice to use Linux. They can abide by the license or not ship Linux.

Not to mention that there are many more or less stable APIs within the kernel (which even has versioned API support in places) such as Video4Linux which manufacturers seem dead set against using.

[gf000]

They do abide by the license, but it's also their choice whether to maintain cheap firmware for n years old devices, that they may not even have the license to distribute in source form.

Nonetheless, android mostly solved the issue of the kernel's lack of stable interface via their HAL.