While thousands of consumers were busy enjoying their new iPads this weekend, analysts were busy ripping the device apart (literally) in an effort to figure out which firms supplied the component parts. Apple never discloses this information ahead of time, and insists that its suppliers don’t either.
Samsung appears to be the supplier for two key components of the new iPad — the A5X applications processor and the new high-definition retina display. Chips from Qualcomm (QCOM), Avago Technologies (AVGO), Triquint Semiconductor (TQNT) and Fairchild Semiconductor (FCS) were also found inside an iPad taken apart in Australia by iFixit.
IHS iSuppli took apart an iPad in the United States with the goal of determining how much each part cost. Their preliminary estimate for the mid-range iPad, with 32 GB of memory and 4G LTE capability, is $364.35 plus $10.75 in manufacturing costs, for a total cost of $375.10. The highest end model has an estimated bill-of-materials of $408 and the low-end model carries an estimated bill-of-materials of $316.
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