According to iSuppli Corp.'s Teardown Analysis service, the 16Gbyte version of the iPhone 4 carries a BOM of $187.51, iSuppli estimated the BOM of the 3GS in 2009 at $170.80; the 3G in 2008 at $166.31 and the first iPhone in 2007 at $217.73.
The LCD display represents the single most expensive component in the
iPhone 4, costing $28.50 and accounting for 15.2 percent of the
product's total BOM. The 3.5-inch display uses advanced Low-Temperature
Polysilicon (LTPS) and In-Plane Switching (IPS) technology, and features
a 960 by 630 resolution--four times that of the iPhone 3GS.
While the display is not labeled, iSuppli believes the most likely
supplier is LG Display. Toshiba Mobile Display (TMD) also could serve as
a source for the part.
The next most expensive single component is the NAND-type flash memory.
In the 16Gbyte version of the iPhone 4, the NAND costs $27 and accounts
for 14.4 percent of the BOM. In the individual iPhone 4 torn down by
iSuppli, the NAND flash was supplied by Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.,
although Apple could be employing other sources as well.
Samsung also supplies the next costliest part, the 4Gbits of mobile
Double Data Rate (DDR) SDRAM, priced at $13.80, or 7.4 percent of the
BOM.
Following on the value ranking is the baseband Integrated Circuit (IC),
at $11.72, or 6.3 percent of the BOM. Infineon Technologies AG is the
supplier of this part, iSuppli's teardown reveals.
Next on the component cost countdown is the A4 applications processor,
manufactured by Samsung but using Apple's Intellectual Property (IP).
iSuppli estimates the cost of the A4 at $10.75, or 5.7 percent of the
iPhone 4's BOM.
Housing complex
One of the most apparent examples of the iPhone 4's design innovation is its completely redesigned housing. Unlike the unibody housing of previous models, the iPhone 4's enclosure is composed of multiple pieces, allowing it to accommodate a considerably larger battery as well as the much-discussed integrated antenna.
Less is more in wireless
The wireless subsection of the iPhone 4 is far smaller than in previous members of the line because of greatly increased integration of the Radio Frequency (RF) functionality into the core chipset components, despite the presence of an additional air standard: High-Speed Uplink Packet Access (HSUPA), which allows the uploading of bandwidth-intensive HD video.
"Out of the nearly 300 cell phones torn down by iSuppli, the iPhone comes the closest to integrating the entire wireless interface--including all the supporting Radio Frequency (RF) modules--on a single chip," Kevin Keller principal analyst, teardown services, said. "This further enhances the iPhone 4's space efficiency and serves as yet another testament to the advanced state of Apple's design."
The LCD display represents the single most expensive component in the iPhone 4, costing $28.50 and accounting for 15.2 percent of the product's total BOM. The 3.5-inch display uses advanced Low-Temperature Polysilicon (LTPS) and In-Plane Switching (IPS) technology, and features a 960 by 630 resolution--four times that of the iPhone 3GS.
While the display is not labeled, iSuppli believes the most likely supplier is LG Display. Toshiba Mobile Display (TMD) also could serve as a source for the part.
The next most expensive single component is the NAND-type flash memory. In the 16Gbyte version of the iPhone 4, the NAND costs $27 and accounts for 14.4 percent of the BOM. In the individual iPhone 4 torn down by iSuppli, the NAND flash was supplied by Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., although Apple could be employing other sources as well.
Samsung also supplies the next costliest part, the 4Gbits of mobile Double Data Rate (DDR) SDRAM, priced at $13.80, or 7.4 percent of the BOM.
Following on the value ranking is the baseband Integrated Circuit (IC), at $11.72, or 6.3 percent of the BOM. Infineon Technologies AG is the supplier of this part, iSuppli's teardown reveals.
Next on the component cost countdown is the A4 applications processor, manufactured by Samsung but using Apple's Intellectual Property (IP). iSuppli estimates the cost of the A4 at $10.75, or 5.7 percent of the iPhone 4's BOM.
Other parts and suppliers
Subsequent on the cost list is the capacitive touch screen with reinforced glass, at $10.00, or 5.3 percent of the BOM. While the supplier of the touch screen is not labeled and thus cannot be determined through a teardown analysis, iSuppli believes the source is TPK and/or Balda.
The main camera on the iPhone, a 5-megapixel autofocus device, costs $9.75, and accounts for 5.2 percent of the BOM. Like the touch screen, the camera cannot be identified from a teardown.
The Wi-Fi Bluetooth controller IC, priced at $7.80 and representing 4.2 percent of the BOM, is supplied by Broadcom Corp.
Other parts in the iPhone 4 include:
• The $5.80 battery, with an unknown supplier
• NOR flash, supplied by Intel Corp./Numonyx; and Double Data Rate (DDR) mobile DRAM, provided by Elpida Memory Inc., at a combined cost of $2.70.
• A $2.60 Microelectromechanical (MEMS) gyroscope, supplied by STMicroelectronics
• Infineon's $2.33 quad-band GSM/Edge transceiver
• The $2.03 main power-management IC from Dialog Semiconductor.
• A Global Positioning System (GPS) chip from Broadcom, costing $1.75
• Texas Instruments Inc.'s touch screen controller IC, at $1.23
• Cirrus Logic's $1.15 audio codec
• An e-compass from AKM Semiconductor Inc., at 70 cents
• The accelerometer, provided by STMicroelectronics, and costing 65 cents
More information on iSuppli's iPhone 4 Teardown
For an online version of this release, including teardown photos and an exploded, annotated view of the iPhone 4's innards, please visit: http://www.isuppli.com/Teardowns-Manufacturing-and-Pricing/News/Pages/iPhone-4-Carries-Bill-of-Materials-of-187-51-According-to-iSuppli.aspx