Samsung Galaxy S4

Samsung Galaxy S4

According to a report from  IHS iSuppli Mobile Handset Cost Model Service the HSPA+ version of Samsung Electronics’ Galaxy S4 smartphone has a $236 bill of materials (BOM). This figure is apparently up significantly from the BOM of the Galaxy S III. The BOM of the HSPA+ version of the S4 is $30.40 higher than for the equivalent version of the Galaxy S III, a 15 percent increase, according to the report.

“Although its hardware is not radically different from the Galaxy S III introduced in April of 2012, the Samsung Galaxy S4 includes some critical component updates that enhance its functionality as well as its BOM cost,” said Vincent Leung, senior analyst for cost benchmarking at IHS. “Among the upgrades are a larger, full high-definition (HD) display; a beefed-up Samsung processor; and a wealth of new sensors that set a record high for the number of such devices in a smartphone design. And despite the larger display and other changes, the Galaxy S4 has roughly the same width and the same ease of handling as the Galaxy S III.”

In terms of display display, the S4 employs a full-HD AMOLED display from Samsung Display with a pixel format of 1,920 by 1,080. On the other hand, the Samsung Galaxy SIII has a 1,280 by 720 WXGA resolution display. Consequently, the S4 carries a cost of $75.00, up from $65.00 for the S III.

The display represents the single largest area of cost increase for the S4 compared to the S III, according to the report.

“While many brands have released smartphone models using full-HD LCD displays, the S4 represents the first with an AMOLED display at this resolution,” said Vinita Jakhanwal, director for small & medium displays at IHS. “Reaching a true pixel density greater than 300 ppi has been a challenge for AMOLED display makers. However, Samsung was able to enhance AMOLED display performance by implementing new technologies that also drove up the cost of the display.”

The report went on to highlight that upgrade to the processor and LTE chipset were also contributory factors in the increase in BOM of the Samsung Galaxy S4.

Source:  IHS iSuppli

By Staff

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