Google couldn't choose to not renew a contract--effectively shutting off access to Android Although the specific issues regarding the Skyhook case seem suspici

Google couldn't choose to not renew a contract--effectively shutting off access to Android Although the specific issues regarding the Skyhook case seem suspicious there are a lot of half truths talked about Android, and seems to be one of them. I do not believe there is any technical reason you cannot create an Android device (Honeycomb excepted of course) without having a license from Google. That license covers the branding and the Google applications (closed source). What's interesting is that far-east asian ODMs aside, no major device manufacturer has chosen not to license Google's brand and technologies. So while there are handcuffs in the Android ecosystem, they are ones that the manufacturers choose to wear.