Man, OEM's using Google's Android are getting pounded by patent claims from both Microsoft and Apple.  This is on top of Oracle's copyright suit directly against Google over infringement of Java code in Android.  The question is at some point it starts becoming expensive enough that OEM's start looking for mobile OS's that are not Android: (eg: Windows Phone, webOS, Maemo, MeeGo.)

Apple deals massive patent blow to HTC, Android in serious trouble
http://www.zdnet.com/blog/hardware/apple-deals-massive-patent-blow-to-htc-android-in-serious-trouble/13714?tag=mantle_skin;content

Microsoft's Android Plan: Evil Genius Or Just Evil?
http://techcrunch.com/2011/07/13/scott-you-just-dont-get-it-do-ya/

I'm also wondering if this was not one of the reasons that Google decided to continue developing the Chrome OS when they already had Android. Did they know that Android was vulnerable?  I remember nobody could understand why Google was developing two mobile OS products that would compete with each other in the, then netbook and later tablet space, but this might explain why G did not put all their eggs in the Android basket.

So will Android start fading out as a mobile OS?  It would seem that there are now other alternatives, which was not true when Android got adopted as the OS of choice to fight the iPhone 3 years ago.

I'd be impressed if chrome was entirely free of patent disputes, but what I find somewhat surprising is that rather than go after Google for patent violation, Apple was targeting HTC and trying to block sales of their products.