This should usher in a new era of cheap phones that upgrade immediately to the newest version of the Android OS. It lowers the price floor for a shiny new phon

This should usher in a new era of cheap phones that upgrade immediately to the newest version of the Android OS. It lowers the price floor for a shiny new phone. All of these additional features are expensive to create but, they are differentiators. With this, Google has the ability to push more new features on the base OS. By conforming to this standard, Google make it easier for them to compete with all of these manufacturers' features. Now it's up to them to make compelling reasons to upgrade their phones beyond apps. I see things like Google Assistant, Mapping, etc. being more integrated into the OS so that you are always in the Google system no matter what app you are currently in. This is a big and brilliant win if they can first pull it off technically and then pull it off with compelling services. They certainly look like they are investing heavily in both. I look forward to a $99 or $199 (or $49 if you can stomach sketchy Chinese phones) phone that just keeps getting better and better and better for free as long as the phone works. This also makes a very compelling thing to make the phone into a computer once the battery can't hold a charge, etc. Take the guts or use some kind of USB->HDMI out and make it into a TV app or a digital mirror or another internet station somewhere. Brilliant move Google.