Just after having read the very detailed article about the new 903i Series from NTT DoCoMo with its "Kisekae-Tool (dress-up tool)," a new function to change the menu screen, ring tone and other settings in a lump " (see the Tetsuwan Atom menu screen here), I found other interesting articles like the Google interview (see below) and now this one: NEC, Panasonic Name Joint Mobile Phone Development Company 'ESTEEMO'

The new company will develop a common hardware and software platform in an effort to reduce cost of mobile phone handset development. As for the common hardware platform, the company plans to explore application CPUs and SoCs, select core devices, choose component suppliers, and design, manufacture and assess test substrates in collaboration. NEC and Panasonic Mobile will each manufacture and market their mobile phones, after adding their own original design, software and other values to base handsets developed by the new joint company.

This makes a lot of sense to me and I only hope other handset manufacturers would follow this example.