Comment by deepinsand

Isn't the prevailing argument in the industry that vertical integration is necessary for great customer experience?

On Android, I sign in ONCE with my @gmail address and everything is instantly configured.

Another great example is Google Now. That feature is very deeply tied into the Android UI and possible because Google owns the services.

I'm not saying you can't get "good enough" without owning the services, but I think you can provide greater value if you do.