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The Samsung Galaxy S7’s manufacturing price tag is at least $255
When you sum up all the component parts of the Samsung Galaxy S7, it looks like your final payment will be around $255, at least according to the research team IHS who recently tore the device down and catalogued all of its pieces. However, before you start thinking you’re going to save yourself a cool $400 (the Galaxy S7 currently retails for $670 in the US) you probably should take into consideration the impossibility of acquiring these parts at bulk rates and the difficulty you’d have assembling them in your garage.
The teardown revealed that the manufacturing cost of the Galaxy S7 is about on-par with what it cost the Korean tech giant to make Galaxy S5 devices two years ago. From a design evolution standpoint, IHS describes the S7 as “more of the same,” which isn’t necessarily a slam on the device but a description of safe, incremental improvement to stay competitive with contemporary devices. One of the biggest component changes from the S6 model, and definitely the most expensive part of the entire handset, is the inclusion of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820. The last member of the S-line used Samsung’s Exynos 7 chip. The Snapdragon 820 is valued at $62, meaning it’s worth almost 25% of the device’s full cost.
In a move that has puzzled some, the Galaxy S7 has taken a step backward in terms of megapixels when it comes to the device’s main camera. Although the S6 rocked a 16MP shooter, the S7 has backed it off to a mere 12MP. However, this only goes to show that megapixels don’t always tell the full story. The Galaxy S7 uses a new dual-pixel technology – the first time this tech has been used in a smartphone – to improve autofocusing, low-light clarity, and image quality across the board. IHS called it “the best camera on the smartphone market.”
IHS’s full report is expected to be out later today. In the meantime, let us know what you think of the Samsung Galaxy S7’s build cost. More than you were expecting, or less? Give us your take in the comments below!
