[chrischen]

Android is actually a way to keep Apple from dominating, and to keep other mobile devices open.

Google knows it dominates certain services like search, so it can use Android to make sure other devices stay open in order to compete against it. This forces them to let people choose and Google knows more often than not that choice will be for Google services. For example if Android allows Google talk, then Apple will become tremendously pressured to do the same because it's supposedly a really useful feature.

Android forces others to be more open, Google dominates, therefore more open means more customers for Google, more eyes looking at Google ads, etc.