On a laptop, I can trivially install a new OS on it, right from the OS vendor. On Android, the vendor needs to build the OS for me. Even with AOSP that's true,

On a laptop, I can trivially install a new OS on it, right from the OS vendor. On Android, the vendor needs to build the OS for me. Even with AOSP that's true, the Android driver model basically means modifying Android. Vendors are generally doing a good job of upstreaming kernel drivers, but Android has this whole awful userspace driver stack as well. You'd think at least one benefit you'd get from the Android HAL is pluggable drivers, but sadly no.