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Teardown Finds iPhone 5 Costs Apple About the Same As Did 4S

Posted by timothy on from the no-actual-new-elements-were-used dept.

Nerval's Lobster writes "A physical teardown of the iPhone 5 by IHS iSuppli reveals that Apple has managed to keep its materials and manufacturing costs roughly in line with that of the iPhone 4S. The firm estimated the Bill of Materials for the iPhone 5's low-end variant at $199.00, rising to $207.00 once manufacturing costs are entered into the equation. It tallied the BOM for the 32GB version at $209.00 (or $217 with manufacturing) and the 64GB one at $230.00 (rising slightly to $238 with those manufacturing costs). Compare that to the BOM for the iPhone 4S, which IHS iSuppli estimated at $188 for the 16GB version (rising to $196 with manufacturing costs added in), $207 for the 32GB version ($215 with manufacturing) and $245 for the 64GB version ($254 with manufacturing)." Reader redkemper writes with another kind of comparison of the newest iPhone to its predecessor: "Apple didn't spend too much time talking about the iSight camera at the iPhone 5s unveil event because it's mostly the same as the one found in the iPhone 4S. Thankfully, iMore grabbed an iPhone 5 and iPhone 4S and did a fantastic shoot-out between the two device's rear cameras. [The new camera] just barely edges out the iPhone 4S's year-old camera."

6 of 143 comments (clear)

  1. Well, by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    You'd have to actually change something to increase cost.

    1. Re:Well, by binarylarry · · Score: 5, Funny

      Well this should, at least, show all the fandroids out there just how advanced the iPhone 4S was!

      It was practically from the future!

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      Mod me down, my New Earth Global Warmingist friends!
    2. Re:Well, by Plumpaquatsch · · Score: 5, Informative

      You'd have to actually change something to increase cost.

      http://arstechnica.com/apple/2012/09/iphone-5-deconstructed-packed-with-power-efficient-parts/

      iFixit's usual thorough analysis reveals that nearly every hardware component has been upgraded or improved, yet is so power efficient that the battery capacity largely remains the same.

      --
      Of course news about a fake are Fake News.
  2. iMore comparison by mpicker0 · · Score: 5, Informative

    iMore grabbed an iPhone 5 and iPhone 4S and did a fantastic shoot-out between the two device's rear cameras.

    Here's a link to the actual comparison, instead of a blog describing the comparison: http://www.imore.com/iphone-5-vs-iphone-4s-camera

  3. Yeah like, by yabos · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Bigger screen, faster CPU&GPU, more ram, new camera? Oh wait.. they did that.

  4. Re:Spent less on mapping license didn't they? by ColdWetDog · · Score: 5, Insightful

    No, 300% markup on a BOM is pretty bog standard on an electronics device.

    Get over it guys, the world isn't designed to give you your toys as cheaply as possible. That's what your parents were for.

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    Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!