No, they can't ride the natural device upgrade cycle to get out new versions because there is no requirement for new devices to install the newest version. Apple on the other hand, can ride the device upgrade cycle because when you go pick up a new phone at the Apple store it is running the newest version of the operating system, and the features get rolled out to everyone.
I would argue that as new features in newer versions of operating systems become more and more of a spectacle that people everywhere, not just geeks are watching, Pushing major OS updates becomes more and more important.
If you're going to show off a new feature to the world, it's nice if most people can actually get at it.
there is no requirement for new devices to install the newest version.
No, but only the really low-end Android phones are coming out with 2.x anymore and that number is going to dwindle quickly over the next year. And ICS is not as crucial as some people make it out to be since 2.x is a decent platform already and a lot of features have been backported.
The international versions of the S2 and the Note have already been updated to ICS, as have many of the carrier versions (the AT&T Note and Epic 4G Touch, at least).
I would argue that as new features in newer versions of operating systems become more and more of a spectacle that people everywhere, not just geeks are watching, Pushing major OS updates becomes more and more important.
If you're going to show off a new feature to the world, it's nice if most people can actually get at it.