Another discussion on Google+ got me thinking about the whole discussion about stock Android. And the one thing I realized is that nobody wants stock Android.
Stock Android is AOSP, and for the most part nobody wants AOSP in its pure form. They want AOSP+.
For example, with the Nexus 5 what you are seeing is Google’s skin on top of AOSP. Google replaced the browser, messaging, camera, dialer, and search apps specifically to meet Google’s needs. For the most part Google did to AOSP what every other OEM did to AOSP, but less intrusive and arguably more elegant and useful.
Call it what you like but the Nexus does not run stock Android it runs Google Android, and it will only get more googlier in the future.
HeCareth, The Blog 