As always, the guys over at IHS iSuppli have just published analysis of their iPhone 4S teardown showing a BOM of $188 for the 16GB and in the process revealing some previously undisclosed suppliers.
The $188 BOM is of course for the entry-level 16GB model, which would also inflate to $196 if factoring in an $8 manufacturing cost. BOM for the 32GB model comes in at $207 (again, before manufacturing), and $245 for the 64GB variant.
The report describes the 4S’s insides as including a “wealth of innovation”, in contrast to the device’s feature set which was received as an incremental upgrade by most. Among the suprises revealed during the teardown– NAND flash memory supplied by Hynix Semiconductor (a first for iPhone) and a “unique custom” wireless module from Avago Technologies Ltd. The device torn down by iSuppli carried the same sony Sensor as the device X-Rayed by Chipworks but they postulate that Omnivision may also provide an 8-megapixel sensor as well for some of the devices.
Senior director of teardown services for IHS, Andrew Rassweiler, explains:
When it comes to the unique Avago wireless module, which “amplifies a radio signal prior to transmission”, the report explains the significance:
In addition to the discovery of Hynix supplied memory, the report also confirms Toshiba as another source for NAND flash memory in the 4S. The good news for AAPL shareholders is that even with upgrades on the majority of important internal components, it looks like Apple has been able to maintain margins on the iPhone 4S.
- Apple iPhone 4S 16GB Worldphone for AT&T / Verizon for $188 in-store only (9to5toys.com)
