"The concept of being able to access any kind of communication from multiple devices is something fundamental, but so far they've all been kind of clunky -- there hasn't been a carrier-grade solution based on the network itself, " says Charles Gerlach, a director at the consulting firm Mainspring.
Yes, Android might be "open" in the sense that the source code is available, but there's no doubt Google's wielded incredible power over the platform by restricting access to Market and its own apps -- power that hasn't been used to prevent carrier-mandated bloatware or poorly-done manufacturer skinning, but has instead apparently been used to block legitimate competitors like Skyhook from doing business.