iPhone 4S Component Cost Is $188; Samsung Edged Out

We've already seen what's inside the iPhone 4S thanks to the traditional post-launch teardown, but how much exactly do all those shiny parts cost? iSuppli has crunched the numbers and reckons a fifth-gen iPhone costs Apple as little as $188 in components; they've also spotted a selection of new supplier parts, some of which occupy space previously held by Samsung.

The $188 figure is for the entry-level 16GB iPhone 4S; the 32GB and 64GB versions would have a Bill of Materials (BOM) of $207 and $245 respectively. The analysts estimate manufacturing costs work out at $8 apiece. Interestingly, that makes each version just $0.49 more in components than the iPhone 4.

Fresh to the iPhone 4S, however, is Hynix NAND flash memory, where previously Apple used only Samsung or Toshiba chips. It's likely Apple is using various sources for the flash, however, and that it will vary by individual model. Meanwhile Infineon/Intel is out, with the 4S' World Phone baseband chip provided by Qualcomm.

The BOM obviously does not take into account any software or licensing costs, nor cost of developing the new iPhone.