Just read this article over at zdnet. What it basically says is condensed in these two points:
1. Android is a failure for Google because it is open and carriers/OEMs are stripping off google search from it and putting replacements like baidu/Bing. (BTW, half the people say Android is fail because it is not open and the other half say it is fail because it is open. Which one is it, please decide 
)
2. The solution is a Google Phone with google branding, sold unlocked at full price.
Let me answer 2nd point first. Dana Blankenhorn, thanks for that nice blast from the past advice. Google already did it with Nexus One, like, one year ago duh..
Now, on to the first point. Even if lot of people are stripping off Google search, they still have a big share of the mobile search market. They didn’t create Android solely to earn from it directly. It was more of a way to ensure that they still have an avenue for mobile revenue which would have otherwise been completely lost (iPhone). Another thing here is that if they didn’t keep it open enough for other players, it might have not got such widespread adoption or they might have been killed in US/EU under antitrust laws.
So, all I can say to Dana and ZDNet is ———————-> kthxbi 
Actually, I think the article is spot-on. This is a big problem and getting bigger. Google did try it last year with the Nexus One, but botched it on multiple levels. What they need to do is create a top-of the line standard setting Nexus Two (just like they did a year ago with the Nexus One) and deploy it the way Samsung deployed the Galaxy S – on multiple carriers worldwide. But unlike Samsung, don’t let the carriers mess it. When Google released the Nexus One, the carriers weren’t putting crap on the phones. Things have got much worse (especially with Verizon) from a year ago.
I’m waiting for the rumored Nexus 2/Nexus S or whatever it is that Samsung will be releasing. As long as I get newer versions of the OS directly from Google, I’m ditching my Vibrant.
Before I get started, its probably good for you to know that Dana Blankenhorn is a dude, man, male…
I agree with you. Its beyond me why he would even write such an article without knowing about the nexus one. And the whole “no google search” thing is nonsense as well.
oops..my mistake..All Dana’s I’ve met so far have been women so I sort of assumed this one was as well
One of the links in the same article posted on Harvard Business Review is a much better explanation of how Android is somewhat backfiring – http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2010/11/did_google_train_its_own_enemi.html
“Microsoft recently negotiated with Verizon that some of the Android phones that ship to Verizon customers will have Microsoft’s Bing, not Google, as the default search engine. “
I keep hearing tech blog sites repeating this crazy mantra over and over. Now google has gained market share, they are now being branded as poor quality and the next ‘windows’ of the mobile space. Furthermore they are all wanting google to use the strong arm tactics prevalent in the IOS arena. They gained the market share by making it open (well sorta) – and yes, that does have it’s disadvantages; it isn’t perfect.
If they start using IOS-style strong arm tactics, you’ll soon hear another camp crying foul and accusing them of betraying opensource. Leave them alone. They’ve brought a huge feature set and smartphones to the masses and we are grateful for that. Ginger bread and honeycomb will bring on refinements and more features/stability. The IOS fanboys can be content to say, ‘well we’ve got the largest app store’ and ‘well, the quality of the iphone is better’. That’s fine, but you aren’t going to get Jobsian style control over there. Be content with that.
@Phlegon: Completely agree with you.. btw nice email id