Openmoko, the proliferators of open-source mobile phone products, announced yesterday that they will be releasing the schematics to their Neo 1973 and Neo FreeRunner devices so developers can take their design and run with it. 

Prior to this announcement, Creative Commons licensed CAD files were available so designers could change how the phone looked for different markets. But with the schematics published, developers can completely change the phone to add new functions and sensors, not just change its appearance. 

The end result are phones that not only meet the targeted needs of a niche market, but also look better and run better than the standard Openmoko phones. The primary concern is to build a better product, and open-source is definitely one way to achieve it.