[donatzsky]

Android, as a platform, is open. You can take the code and do with it what you want. However, if you want to provide the "Google experience" (Play Store, Gmail etc.) then you have to follow Google's rules - rules that are designed to keep everyone in line and avoid fragmentation.

I have no doubt that without those rules we would quickly find ourselves back in the bad old days of Symbian with S60 and UIQ, with a number of competing, barely compatible, versions of Android. Samsung, in particular, would probably split as soon as they got the chance - during the Galaxy S3 launch they seemingly did their best not to mention Google and is trying to build their own parallel ecosystem - only the threat of not getting the Google apps and early source access is keeping them in check.