It seems like Google is like Wal-Mart now. Everything is "cheaper, "more accessible," and "open source." These are the words they use and while it is true, it's hard to imagine that only good can come out of this. That's one drawback. With Google stretching its Android tentacles into every sector of the market, how is that a good thing? OS, phone OS, TV, search, email. They have access to all this data. Let's not forget what happened recently with their Google Maps cars going through open networks and taking passwords. They were found guilty of it, these were not assumptions.
A cliched, but still true example is the fragmentation. There are devices still on 1.6. They probably won't see the light of 2.1. If I'm not wrong, these are the 'low-end" phones. They were low-end then and they are still so today. The fact that people get fucked over like that is unnerving, because Android is supposed to be this great platform with all these features and open and all that crock of shit, yet people are still fucking with Donut. To blame it entirely on the carrier is stupid. The carrier wouldn't be pulling shit like this to get people to buy more expensive phones if Google put in sanctions to force them to keep all phones somewhat up to date. And this is just phones. Is the OS any different for tablets? If not, that's shitty because I'm sure there are things tablets can do that phones can't. So tablets are hindered by the smartphones and what they can handle? If it's the converse, that the tablets do have modified OSs, then that means every single different device (phones, tablets, Google TV,) has its own different version of Android. Fragmentation.
To sacrifice quality in order to make something "affordable" is the dilution I was talking about. To branch across so far into technology is going to have its negative effects. Instead of having depth and focus on smartphones and, hell, even tablets, this thing is going into the TV world now. Instead of having the focus more like a glass of water, it's more like it's spread out over a huge dinner plate. Again, widespread, but lacking any depth.
Which goes back to the Wal-Mart analogy; have everyone sapped into the OS with a $30 phone and when it gains enough power, just fuck everyone over. It's a prediction, not fact, but from what we've seen so far, it's not an irrational fear.
The OS is fine. It's the company behind the OS that has potential to have its hands in places it doesn't belong, or simply reduce the quality of its products. If there's backlash and they decide to shut doors or just collapse on itself, it's taking everyone involved with them. Good luck switching to a new OS when every aspect of your life was connected through Google.