The iPhone 3GS might have the looks and the Nexus One is the popular new kid on the block, but iSuppli has declared the Motorola Droid to be the most valuable in the class. Surprised?
According to their report, the Motorola Droid comprises $179.11 in electronic components and $8.64 in manufacturing costs, making a grand total of $187.75 bill of materials. (Note: this doesn’t include royalties, accessories, etc.) As for what you’re actually going to pay, Verizon’s Droid starts selling at $199 with a two-year contract (or $149 for existing Verizon customers).
That’s in contrast to the Droid’s two biggest competitors these days: the iPhone 3GS, which costs $178.96 to make, and the Nexus One, which only takes $174.15 to produce one model.
If it weren’t for that microSD slot, which costs $35 to put in, the Droid would drop behind these two. However, it seems like a lot of people like this asset (and some iPhone users are hoping to see it in the next version.)
If you’re seriously interested in what each aspect of the Droid costs (or you want to get an idea of how components contribute to a smartphone’s price), iSuppli has created a breakdown chart:
