Apple and Cingular will see a nearly 50 percent gross margin on each iPhone sold, giving the companies “a hefty profit, as well as plenty of room for future price cuts,” according to a preliminary Bill of Materials (BoM) estimate by iSuppli.
“iSuppli estimates the 4GB version of the Apple iPhone will carry a $229.85 hardware BoM and manufacturing cost and a $245.83 total expense, yielding a 49.3 percent margin on each unit sold at the $499 retail price,” said Andrew Rassweiler, teardown services manager and senior analyst for iSuppli. “Meanwhile, the 8GB Apple iPhone will sport a $264.85 hardware cost and a $280.83 total expense, amounting to a 46.9 percent margin at the $599 retail price.”
