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It will be interesting over the next couple of years to see how the Android vs. Apple platform plays out in mobile. Apple has tight vertical integration of its hardware and software, but Google is this 800-pound gorilla in the room that could be presenting some formidable challenges to Apple. Google’s problem is that they are not as tightly integrated as Apple and stories like this seem to reveal a potential weak point in the Google mobile juggernaut.

Apple’s advantage is that it owns the OS, software, and devices. That has been a formula for tremendous growth and profits at Apple – especially with the iPhone. The App store spreads the wealth, but still gives Apple tight control over the mother ship. Apple led the mobile industry to some real breakthroughs. Now the competition is hot on its heels. Still, the grace period that Apple had between its first introduction of the iPhone and the competition mounting a considerable challenge, allowed Apple to establish itself as a major player in an incredibly short time period.

I remember a book by Al Ries and Jack Trout called The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing. Law #8 was the Law of Duality: In the long run, every market becomes a two-horse race. Right now my guess is that a two-horse race for mobile could end up being Apple and Android. I guess we know why Eric Schmidt no longer sits on the Apple board (story here).

However, if the iPhone is going to be in the two-horse race, it really is time for the iPhone to be offered by more than one mobile carrier. I am sure AT&T likes its exclusivity with the Apple product, but now that the competition is starting to catch up, something will need to be done to bring iPhone into more side by side competition with an expanding smartphone playing field.