iPhone has BoM of $187, says iSuppli
While the iPhone 4's design may be different, the strategy remains the same, according to iSuppli. In its latest teardown, iSuppli concludes the 16Gbyte version of the phone has a bill of materials of $187.51.
"Just as it did with the iPad, Apple has thrown away the electronics playbook with the iPhone 4, reaching new heights in terms of industrial design, electronics integration and user interface," said Kevin Keller, iSuppli's principal analyst, teardown services.
One innovation is the redesigned housing. While previous models comprised a single housing, the iPhone 4's enclosure is composed of multiple pieces, allowing it to accommodate a larger battery and an integrated antenna.
"This adds more complexity and cost," said Keller, "but elegantly uses every possible cubic millimetre of the iPhone for function, and not just form. The tight intertwining of form and function is an area where Apple has always excelled."
The lcd is the single most expensive component at $28.50, with the next most expensive component being the NAND-type flash memory. In the 16Gbyte version of the iPhone 4, the NAND costs $27. Meanwhile, 4Gbit of DDR sdram costs $13.80.
Other components include:
baseband $11.72
applications processor $10.75
Capacitive touchscreen $10
Camera $9.75
WiFi/Bluetooth $7.80
Battery $5.80
