Will handset makers maintain their dedication to Android if they have to pay to license it? That's the question experts following Google's battle with Oracle are asking, and some of them think the answer is no.

If Oracle wins the lawsuit that it brought against the software giant, the consequences for Google and the entire Android market could be dire, analysts say. Oracle likely won't settle for a lump payment but instead will want a cut of each phone sold. That added cost changes the economics for handset makers such that many will take a second look at their commitments to the Android platform.

While manufacturers are unlikely to abandon Android for a couple of dollars per handset, they might begin to find other platforms, such as Windows Phone, more attractive and begin to reduce the number of Android phones they make in favor of other platforms.

More: http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9218251/