This article seems really weak on a number of points. It holds up the Nexus Q as an example that Google is moving into its own hardware manufacture?! And it cl

This article seems really weak on a number of points. It holds up the Nexus Q as an example that Google is moving into its own hardware manufacture?! And it claims that OEMs are unable to "innovate" - but when you look at actual hardware innovation they have been the only ones innovating in the phone space; Apple has produced about 4 devices with identical form factors in 5 years. Contrast with Samsung and Asus who have produced all kinds of crazy stuff. It's not so much about innovation but quality, focus and finishing that the OEMs are not set up to do. Personally I think these things are just cyclical: it takes a vertically integrated company to really break through into a new domain, that much is true. But then that new area will always be commoditized and the most open, flexible and widely available platform will "win" in the end - until the next major innovation cycle begins. We need both the yin and yang of this cycle to move things forward. I do think MS may have unintentionally saved Android on tablets - the mere hint that Microsoft could possibly go its own way and leave the OEMs with nothing to sell will be giving them such nightmares that they will be doubling down on their investments in Android if only to give themselves a lifeline to future viability if the unthinkable happens. Without that I suspect half of them were probably ready to completely jump ship and leave Android behind as a bad experiment.