One has to wonder where Google will be going with their Moto X line, especially since the focus is on utilitarian features (long battery life, assembled in the US) and price rather than brand identity.

All things considered, Google's forward strategy with the Android OS seems to be unification under one OS rather than the splintering into a plethora of alternative UIs (Samsung TouchWiz, LG Optimus UI) and old OS versions.

We're already seeing significant decline of Android 2.X devices, but will there be a faster transition from 4.X to 5.X in a similar fashion of iOS 6 to iOS 7?

the iphone is an overpriced NSA tracking device. It's not brilliant, consumers are just sheep