"Google wants carriers to be mere bit pipes, wireless ISPs and nothing more. They want to drive the price of smartphones to less than $100 in order to take the carrier out of the subsidy business and, as a result, loosen the carrier’s control over handsets."

I guess that explains why Google and Apple are on a collision course, Apple can't compete at the low end. Though interestingly Apple led the way for loosening carrier control over handsets with their take it or leave it attitude.