> desperate attempts to differentiate itself from other Android handset OEMs yes. i can see it that way. OTOH, I can also see this as the natural tension betw

> desperate attempts to differentiate itself from other Android handset OEMs yes. i can see it that way. OTOH, I can also see this as the natural tension between Google's desire to force uniformity onto the entire Android ecosystem (good for consumers who want to switch between different handsets with less friction/confusion), and the handset maker's desire to prevent Google from controlling the Android user experience completely (good for consumers who don't want to be totally trapped in Google's vision and Google's service offerings.)