Google also plans to strengthen its own patent portfolio, Drummond said, presumably by buying licenses from collectives such as Intellectual Ventures.

The company must act or consumers "could face rising costs for Android devices--and fewer choices for their next phone," Drummond said.

Matt Hamblen covers mobile and wireless, smartphones and other handhelds, and wireless networking for Computerworld. Follow Matt on Twitter at , or subscribe to . His e-mail address is .

in Computerworld's IT Industry Topic Center.