When Samsung unveiled their foldable smartphone at the SDC last month, they did not mention how much the phone could cost, although there are some reports claiming that it might be priced pretty high and could cost anywhere between $1,500 and $2,000, and according to an alleged bill of materials from CGS-CIMB Research, it could explain why.
Based on the bill of materials, the most expensive component of the phone is said to be estimated at $218.80 per unit, and unsurprisingly that belongs to the display itself. Given that this is a new technology, we suppose it makes sense that it does not come cheap. The display is also around 2.5x the cost compared to the next most expensive component, which is the mechanical and electro-mechanical components estimated to cost $87.50.
The phone’s application processor also does not come cheap at an estimated $71, and neither does its memory which costs $79. Surprisingly the alleged massive 6,000mAh battery is priced at around $9.20. The report also compares the phone’s BOM to other phones like the iPhone XS Max and the Galaxy S9+.
That being said, you should probably take these figures with a grain of salt for now. This is because there are other factors that goes into what makes up the price of the phone, such the marketing, R&D, licensing of patents, and so on, so what you see might not necessarily be the most accurate.
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