The question in such a business is “How will it get paid?” The term of art, business model, arose as a way of answering this question. In essence, a business model explains where revenue will be earned when services are provided free of charge. The basic Internet business models are on-page advertising, advertising based on user information, free u

how much to give away for free.

To summarize, why did Google make Android free to phone manufacturers? While it might not directly make Google any money, this move helps Android get more users, more app purchases, and more searches on Android — all of which helps Google haul in profits.