I think it'll actually be harder to lock an Android phone than the NYT thinks. Google will make Android available to the public. Any phone worth hacking should be able to have its OS / firmware updated. It shouldn't be too hard to install this new clean (not gimped) version of the OS on the phone, much in the same way I can install a new OS on my computer. The only issue is whether or not the hardware drivers are readily available to make this clean version of Android work. Yet most phone companies release both carrier-specific and unlocked versions of their phones. Unlocked means available drivers.
So yeah, maybe you'll need to do some leg work to unlock your phone, but it'll be much easier to do than with the iPhone.
So yeah, maybe you'll need to do some leg work to unlock your phone, but it'll be much easier to do than with the iPhone.