A new estimate says Samsung's Galaxy S8 costs much more to make than Apple's iPhone 7
Samsung's Galaxy S8 phones are officially on sale, but don't expect to grab one for cheap. The entry-level Galaxy S8 starts at $720, about $70 more than competing flagships like Apple's iPhone 7 and Google's Pixel. And that's just on Verizon; with other carriers, it starts as high as $750. The Galaxy S8+ goes for even more.
But as this chart from Statista shows, Samsung has some justification for the price premium. According to recent estimates from analytics firm IHS Markit, the cost of the materials and manufacturing needed to put the Galaxy S8 together is a good ways higher than any other major flagship on the market.
IHS Markit says that entry-level model - what with its high-end chipset, larger-than-usual internal storage, and big, curved OLED display - sets Samsung back $307.50. That's $36 more than last year's Galaxy S7 Edge, $22 more than the Pixel, and $83 more than the iPhone 7, according to IHS Markit's past estimates.
That said, you might want to take all this with at least some grain of salt. Apple CEO Tim Cook is no fan of these sort of estimates, for one, famously saying that he's "never seen one that's even close to accurate" in an earnings call back in 2015. Nevertheless, with a redesigned, high-end iPhone 8 rumored to be on the horizon, it seems like the big smartphone makers are ready to pony up a bit more to sell slicker hardware.
Mike Nudelman/Business Insider/Statista
- Saudi Arabia wants China to help fund its struggling $500 billion Neom megaproject. Investors may not be too excited.
- I spent $2,000 for 7 nights in a 179-square-foot room on one of the world's largest cruise ships. Take a look inside my cabin.
- One of the world's only 5-star airlines seems to be considering asking business-class passengers to bring their own cutlery
- Experts warn of rising temperatures in Bengaluru as Phase 2 of Lok Sabha elections draws near
- Axis Bank posts net profit of ₹7,129 cr in March quarter
- 7 Best tourist places to visit in Rishikesh in 2024
- From underdog to Bill Gates-sponsored superfood: Have millets finally managed to make a comeback?
- 7 Things to do on your next trip to Rishikesh