But Google did eventually release their own maps app in the App Store. If Samsung forks android and create their own store front, will Google ignore all the users Samsung has which is comparable to or even more than what Apple has.
Furthermore Samsung isn't in the software business, its in the hardware business. Unless they find some giant profitable reason to fork and diversify into becoming a software business also, I see no reason why they would not simply keep riding the innovation coming out of google.
2 years back, it was a smaller and different market. Samsung has established brand now and has more power on android. They are moving around 100 million phones a year now. It's not the same market. Samsung doesn't need to do much to fork android. They recently announced a new wallet API for Samsung devices. If developer start doing apps for Samsung specific API and devices that's all they need. If those become popular enough that's a huge barrier for other OEM's to copy.
Few years back google forced Motorola from using a competing maps service. I don't think they can force Samsung from using or creating non google services.
http://www.theverge.com/2013/2/27/4035064/samsung-wallet-app...