How would Google 'ship binaries to OEMs' for a hardware platform it doesn't make?
Good question.
Even if Google could ship the bulk of Android as a binary blob that the OEMs could just link into their own hardware support layer there would still be a problem in keeping that hardware support layer patched.
Google needs a stick with which to beat the OEMs to force them to issue timely updates (and fix their own code when it's broken) ... or maybe a carrot, but methinks the OEMs currently seem more deserving of a stick.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
