Jerry kinda alluded to this in the podcast but I realize that with Google owning Motorola, it may be even more possible.
I wonder if all the Moto phones will essentially be stock Android phones (not Nexus named though). That would basically be the same as a Nexus but with LTE and on Moto/Verizon. They could do that with AT&T too. It would be a way for Google to give people stock android, updates, and LTE but without messing up AOSP-like stuff.
I think your idea is 100% right. But I don't think that's how things will ever happen.
IMO Google
should use Motorola to build great stock-Android phones for carriers. Give folks who don't want to change carriers a rock-solid device that gets the latest version of Android near the end of it's initial "beta-testing" cycle with Nexus/AOSP phones. 4.2 comes out, OTA all these Moto stock psuedo-nexus-phones to 4.1.2. When 4.3 comes out, jack them to 4.2.XX. Consistent, and without introducing the bugs that inevitably come from using the latest point releases.
Wouldn't that be kickass? Everyone from the nerds who participate in online forums like AC, to the people who just want a phone that plays angry birds would then have exactly what they want from the carrier they use. But it will never happen
The minute Google has any serious input into its division that creates devices to access the Internet that it basically controls, governments and competitors start to call lawyers and judges. Motorola will continue to be Motorola, and frankly I think that's sad. RAZR HD MAXX with stock Jelly Bean and LTE would be the Internet's sweetheart.
I do think that we'll see a resurgence of Google Experience Devices though. There's nothing preventing LG and the carriers to get together and make a LG Optimus 4 that is everything the Nexus 4 is without the Nexus name. No need to put it into the AOSP, no need to fight over distribution licensing, just stock, quickly updated Android phones for the carriers. It worked for the Motorola Droid, and it would work even better for this. Give it 32GB of storage and an LTE radio, and Verizon could justify selling it for $199 on a two-year contract or $600 outright.
And people might just line up to buy it.