iPhone X / Ten

Bridgehouse

Axe_meister said:

I know they are two different things, but I recon the Helix costs far more to make. The margins on the Iphone must be massive.

I thought they'd got the screen right up to the edge all the way round now so there were no margins at all?

Axe_meister

Where is the "groan" button when you need it.

Danny1969

Axe_meister said:

I know they are two different things, but I recon the Helix costs far more to make. The margins on the Iphone must be massive.

That's Apples strength, they don't need to sell as many phones as Samsung to make more money as there is a bigger margin on all Apple products compared to their rivals .... that's brand loyalty for you, a wonderful thing for a company to have

I would imagine The Helix use's  off of the shelf DSP with their own code and most of the parts, like microswitchs and sockets, encoders and such will be mass manufactured and used in many other devices. I have a Yamaha effects unit on my bench at the mo with a duff display and I had little trouble sourcing another one as it's common garden tech

R&D cost are huge with something like a new iPhone as opposed to an S version ... obviously once you get past so many million sold those cost are paid for and the margins bigger ..... someone did roughly calculate the margin on a 6 was around £110 on some website but no one really knows what Apple pays for OEM parts other than Apple

oaf

Axe_meister said:

I know they are two different things, but I recon the Helix costs far more to make. The margins on the Iphone must be massive.

 IHS claim the component cost is less than $400:

http://uk.businessinsider.com/iphone-x-teardown-parts-cost-ihs-markit-2017-11

Apple will spend loads on marketing and a lot on R&D, but plenty of profit in there as you say.

Bridgehouse

Just like Helix, the cost of IOS is also covered in this cost - and any updates etc. 

As is the cost of built in apps and functionality. 

Interesting when you break it down (figures made up for fun)

Components - $400
Assembly - $50
R&D - $50
Software Dev - $100
Shipping (all over the bloody place!) - $25
Marketing - $25
Apple corporate overheads - $50
Reseller/phone company margins - $50
Taxes - $200 (import taxes, local taxes, etc etc)
Apple margin (probably) $100

or something like that

randella

Danny1969 said:

Axe_meister said:

I know they are two different things, but I recon the Helix costs far more to make. The margins on the Iphone must be massive.

That's Apples strength, they don't need to sell as many phones as Samsung to make more money as there is a bigger margin on all Apple products compared to their rivals .... that's brand loyalty for you, a wonderful thing for a company to have

I would imagine The Helix use's  off of the shelf DSP with their own code and most of the parts, like microswitchs and sockets, encoders and such will be mass manufactured and used in many other devices. I have a Yamaha effects unit on my bench at the mo with a duff display and I had little trouble sourcing another one as it's common garden tech

R&D cost are huge with something like a new iPhone as opposed to an S version ... obviously once you get past so many million sold those cost are paid for and the margins bigger ..... someone did roughly calculate the margin on a 6 was around £110 on some website but no one really knows what Apple pays for OEM parts other than Apple

As well as this, a smartphone has to operate under some quite horrible conditions and still work flawlessly.  I bet phone designers would kill to be able to work with the sort of room, cooling and solidity offered by a big, folded-steel case the size of a floor-FX.

In reality, they have to squeeze a three-year-old high-end desktop computer and 4k panel into something 150mmx70mm and only 8mm deep so it'll play well in the reviews and not get called 'fattest phone ever lol' or some other hyperbolic bollocks.

It also has to have a battery in there which will last 30 hours on a charge.  Then the whole lot has to be able to survive being dropped down the bog from 1.5m in the air.

Yep, the iPhone's a lot of money, but it's also a lot of device.  As @Danny1969 points out, you're paying the 'Apple Tax' too, which is why I went to Samsung - but I'm not sure the Helix comparison is fair nonetheless.