iSuppli has recently completed their teardown analysis of the iPhone 4S, with the focus of estimating the raw material cost of the device. According to their findings, the 16GB iPhone 4S takes about $188 in materials to build – just $0.25 more than the iPhone 4 when it first launched.
While the 16GB model is estimated to contain about $188 in materials, the 32GB version is estimated at about $207 in material costs, and $245 for the 64GB model. The devices are sold at $199, $299 and $399 respectively under a two year contract, and feature full retail prices of $649, $749 & $849.
Besides providing the price estimate, iSuppli also found a few interesting details about the 4S in their teardown, including the lack of a noise cancellation chip, the usage of Hynix memory in addition to memory provided by Toshiba, and a lack of any identifiable manufacturer information on the new eight megapixel camera.
It’s also important to note that iSuppli’s estimate does not account for the actual cost of the device – just the cost of the components. Apple also has to spend additional money in research & development, manufacturing, marketing, sales, licensing, distribution, and stock storage.
