[wongarsu]

Or google could just stop playing nice, they practically own the platform after all. If they would say "either you supply updates for two years or you are not allowed to preinstall google apps on new devices" the issue would be over.

[digi_owl]

And watch Samsung go Tizen over night, HTC partner up with Microsoft, etc etc etc.

Damn it, Android without Google is already big in China. And lets not forget that Amazon is maintaining what amounts to a fork for their device range.

Google can't really play hardball unless they want to go full Apple.

In essence Android has gotten where it is by being more accommodating to OEMs etc than the competition. Something akin to what MS was doing until they went retard with Windows Mobile 7.

[threeseed]

Samsung/HTC are never going to just abandon Android arguably no matter what Google does.

People have invested money in apps and content which locks them into that platform.

Tizen is a non-starter (nobody is building apps for it). And Microsoft is still struggling for traction.

[castell]

Most new Samsung devices (including all SmartTV and SmartWatch) already use Tizen (based on an evolution of Samsung's Bada). Samsung could switch to Tizen anytime given it features a compatibility layer. People don't buy "Android" devices, they buy by the brand name of the manufacturer e.g. "Samsung".