It makes sense in a way. Let a smaller market test out the update before spreading it to the world at large. But that’s not really a vote of confidence is it? Apple pushed their iOS 6 update to nearly 200 million ready-to-update devices and they managed. Oh, and Apple did it without carriers intervention.
When will Google handle these rollouts? No carriers, no manufacturers, just Google, me, and my phone. All updated together.
Sorry, I was daydreaming.