Are OEMs actually allowed to market a vanilla Android device that isn't a Nexus line?

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It's a simple question, but without a simple answer. With all of the OEMs in the Android environment, none of them have ever released a phone with vanilla Android without the direct partnership (or prodding) of Google in some way.

Most everyone agrees that the OEMs want to differentiate themselves from the competition and this is how they go about it, but why hasn't one ever released a phone without additional "features" or UI overlays? It doesn't make sense to believe Google isn't somehow leveraging their brand recognition of the Nexus line when dealing with OEMs.

Has an OEM pushed out a vanilla Android Jellybean device (or ICS) not in the Nexus line that still comes with Gapps?

Edit:
Meant for Android General, not Nexus 7 forum.

The LG G2X was pure AOSP and not a Nexus, I'm sure there are other examples. But your specific question is about Jelly Bean, which is probably still too new for a manufacturer to release a phone with a vanilla build. Either way, you are certainly wrong in assuming no OEMs have released a pure AOSP device that wasn't a Nexus.

There's a world out there of stock Android phones non Nexus.
Mostly low end phone though. Also the first Android phones like the G1, mytouch 3g, Motorola Droid, etc. were all stock.
Still phones being released quite lately (t mobile prism, zte avail) are stock.

Sent from my DROID2 using xda premium

In the old days OEMs rrleased with stock android both my htc magic and motorola milestone came with stock android (1.6 and 2.0 respectively).
But these days most phones have very simlar hardware and with so many phones on the market the only way they can stand out is to include there own UI or enhanced apps. Since HTC released there first version of sense there has become a big market for companys to build and change android to make it "better" (some cases done better than others)

Sent from my GT-N7000 using xda premium

they're certainly allowed to. it's the OEMs who choose to much their phones up with their custom crap.

And Carriers who don't the same looking phone on store shelves.

⚡sent from my Nexus S 👽

If you look at the Asus Padfone and those from Acer, they all come with vanilla Android. So yes, they are allowed to

Sent from that Atrix... Motorola, where's my ICS?!