I love the little green droid with a love for desserts to bits, but he’s a mess. 

The biggest issues now:

• Fragmented hardware designs and software versions lead to multiple versions of popular apps (Angry Birds, etc.), compatibility issues and other problems.
• Inconsistent UX that inspires 3rd party themes.
• Carriers are given control over core apps, allowed to create splinter App Stores, load un-deletable apps onto the phones, when to update to new versions of the OS, etc.

If Google wants their supposedly open OS to shine, they’re going to have to make some changes. Here’s what I think could be done to really improve Android in the long run:

• Lock the Android Marketplace in. All apps must be released on it, and nobody is allowed to make their own Android App Store.Update: This is not to say apps can’t be side loaded, just that there should be a central location to find apps to prevent confusion.
• Lock the carriers out. They’re providing the network, nothing more. Don’t let them break the experience you’re trying to build because they need VCast on every Droid2. Be tough and resolute. Use your market share to your advantage and play hardball.
• Comprehensive redesign of the UI. Android should be a futuristic mobile OS, but it feels like a nerd’s tinker toy. It needs to be consistent, offer a different experience from iOS and have a consistent vision that appeals to everyone. Hopefully Gingerbread will start to do this.
• For any deity of your choice’s sake, open up a beta SDK system. You’re supposed to be “open”, yet developers get no chance to update their apps for the next version of Android before release. Even Apple does that. Ridiculous.

If Android can bring all of those things to the table, they’ll be in a much stronger position. They may have a quantity lead, but I’m convinced quality is the deciding factor in mobile. The public is far less forgiving of poor quality on devices they carry around 24/7.