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Now that Google owns Motorola most people assume Motorola will get preferential treatment from the Android team.

Leading up to the close of the Google-Motorola deal, Google steadfastly denied this would happen. It insisted it would keep Motorola removed from the Android team. This sounded like it was just talk to keep regulators and partners happy.

Turns out it might be more than just talk. Buried in the New York Times is this little nugget of information: "A Motorola Mobility executive who recently left the company and would speak only on the condition of anonymity because he was uncomfortable talking to the news media, said that if anything, it had become more difficult than before for Motorola to have impromptu collaboration with the Android team."

This makes some sense. Previously, Motorola could talk to Android and no one would raise a fuss since Motorola was just another company like any other. Now, if Motorola is talking to Android and it gets out, people would freak out.

This could just be part of the early-going between the two companies. Right now, Google is probably on edge about the new deal. It doesnt make sense to infuriate Samsung, its biggest partner by helping Motorola which is still a tiny player in the smartphone world... Over time, things could change.

And, on that front, the New York Times mentions that Motorola can hire Google software engineers. It also mentions Motorola might build its own special flavor of Android: "And, people familiar with the companies say, Google could decide to follow Apple’s lead and build a phone from silicon to software, perhaps by creating a separate operating system for Motorola that other phone makers cannot use. "

If Google were to do that, watch out. It would put Google in a very weird, very awkward position with its partners.