It's an interesting topic, but I sometimes feel it could get boring for other folks. But following are my
own views in this topic:
1] Google would want all vendors simply following their guidelines and simply fighting on the basis of price (similar to laptop vendors). Just look at computers - everything runs Windows and with very little chance of customization. Vendors like HP/Lenovo/Dell simply compete on price or or make more powerful hardware. But look at the profit margin in that industry. Only Microsoft makes money from PC business! That's a cold hard fact. Google wants to do same in mobile space what MS did to desktop computers. Difference is that MS sold software, google wants to engulf everyone in their web services.
2] Samsung doesn't want to be a
generic mobile vendor, say like those Chinese companies. The moment Samsung become like everyone else, why would you pay premium for Samsung phones?? That's exactly how Apple is able to always demand premium price for their hardware. At all times, they sold decent hardware with unique software. Samsung knows if you can't be different/unique in this market, you would be left to play the price game. And very soon, the profit margin will decrease to bare minimum.
On Tizen, I think it's pretty good foundation that they have. If you check Tizen 3.0 UI, you will see that they have also adopted flat UI design (Sept 2013 information). We will know which way this is going by Q2. First Tizen phone is supposed to come out by that time.
This is Tizen 2.2. 3.0 is supposed to be come by Q3.
