That is an odd conclusion for the fact that Google has made a very inexpensive device not using the full Android OS. Especially considering you control the device from an Android phone, or Chrome browser on a computer.
Chromecast is not a $400-600 device. It's $35.
The article even states that the most likely reason to not have Android compatibility is to keep cost down, not that the they are ditching Android due to intellectual property issues.
Maybe if it walks like a duck, it really is a duck.
