Hardware diversity in an OS is almost never a flaw. Even Apple knows this: look at the iPod line. The simple fact of the matter is no one device is going to fit all the needs of all users, whether those needs are real or just perceived. I agree with Marco on a lot of things and admire his work, but he does have a weird blind spot when it comes to Android (like his opinion that it is going to be much less relevant now that there is a Verizon iPhone).
The one device model does have its positives, of course. But the advantages are either too niche or too minor to matter. Fragmentation is the favorite knock, but outside of the tech world not that many care. A significant percentage of iOS users don't even update cause they don't realized they can. Software is somewhat easier to develop, but the advantages are overstated here. Accessories are nice, but those are post sale for the most part. Very, very few people buy phones based on a case or a dock. But even if people hate choosing from similar devices, the manufacturer will win in the long run if they have a plurality of the choices. And in the end, whether or not that is good for the customers, that is what matters.
The one device model does have its positives, of course. But the advantages are either too niche or too minor to matter. Fragmentation is the favorite knock, but outside of the tech world not that many care. A significant percentage of iOS users don't even update cause they don't realized they can. Software is somewhat easier to develop, but the advantages are overstated here. Accessories are nice, but those are post sale for the most part. Very, very few people buy phones based on a case or a dock. But even if people hate choosing from similar devices, the manufacturer will win in the long run if they have a plurality of the choices. And in the end, whether or not that is good for the customers, that is what matters.