Apple TV Costs $64 To Make, According To iSuppli

After the launch of a high-profile gadget, two things generally happen: first, it gets torn apart by iFixit. The second, is iSuppli takes a look at the insides in their own way, and figures out just how much it cost a company to make the thing that everyone loves (or hates). This time around it's the new Apple TV, and while the previous version may have cost an arm and a leg to manufacture, the new, smaller version is definitely a lot easier on Apple's pocket.

iSuppli is reporting that the new Apple TV costs only $64 to make. Compare that to the first edition Apple TV, which cost upwards of $237 back in 2007, it looks like Apple has found a way to cut back significantly on the cost of manufacturing their products. That may have a lot to do with the fact that Apple is now using their own processors, like the A4 1GHz chip you'll find in the Apple TV. Even if that chip, and the 8GB of RAM are the costliest parts of the new Apple TV, it's still saving the company money.

Interestingly enough, Intel's Pentium chip, and the chipset utilized in the previous Apple TV, were both expensive enough ($40 and $28, respectively) to cost more together, than the new Apple TV as a whole. As for the price of the A4 processor and 8GB of RAM? That costs Apple a reported $16.55 and $14.

[via 9to5Mac]