Whether the modern Android experience has roots as a free/open source system is becoming a bit of an academic exercise. In a practical sense, useful distributions of Android and iOS are both combinations of open and closed source components.
The point is that it is a benefit to society as a whole. Android being open source as-is today is hugely beneficial. It has transformed the mobile and embedded/consumer device landscape. I have a hard time believing that the impact to everyone would be the same if it was closed source.
I agree that society benefits from freer software.
But transformed the landscape? It's unquestionable that the iPhone truly transformed the mobile landscape. Closed-source Android has eaten up a huge amount of market share across the spectrum (particularly in low-cost high-volume sales). Open-source AOSP is a relative footnote. It has barely transformed anything.
