The Samsung Galaxy S9+ is cheaper if we compare it to the iPhone XS Max. The Samsung Galaxy S9+ starts at $839,99 for the 64GB model. For that price, the hardware is really good and way more affordable if we look at the iPhone XS Max. Let’s break down the Samsung Galaxy S9+ and see how much it cost to make this smartphone.
Introduction
How Much Does It Cost? will cover several brands and products on the manufacturing price. What is the difference between the build price and retail price? Of course, this is not all profit, but it is nice to see what the most expensive or budget flagship killer products cost. In this series, we will go from Apple to OnePlus and from Xiaomi to Samsung. Let’s start with tearing down the price of our beloved products.
The Company
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a South Korean multinational electronics company headquartered in Suwon, South Korea. Samsung has long been a major manufacturer of electronic components such as lithium-ion batteries, semiconductors, chips, flash memory and hard drive devices for clients such as Apple, Sony, HTC and Nokia. It is the world’s largest manufacturer of mobile phones and smartphones, started with the original Samsung Solstice and later fueled by the popularity of its Samsung Galaxy line of devices.
The Product: Samsung Galaxy S9+
The Samsung Galaxy S9+ just looks great. It does not matter if you are an Apple guy or a Samsung guy, the Galaxy S9+ look good. For $839,99, the price is more affordable if we compare it to the iPhone XS Max, but what are the specs? Is it as good?
It is available in multiple colors, Lilac Purple, Midnight Black, Titanium Grey, Coral Blue, Sunrise Gold. There is a color for everybody. Some colors are available only in 64GB and some are just available in 256GB while others are available in 64GB and 256BG. The screen is 5.8″ big and has a resolution of 2960 x 1440 pixels (Quad HD+) and it is a Dual Edge Super AMOLED display. With the Samsung Galaxy S9+, you get an IP68 rating, which means that it is completely water and dust proof. For speeds, Samsung used their own Samsung Exynos 9 Octa (9810) which clocks at 2.7GHz max.
The specifications are good and they should be able to last several years.
How Much Does It Cost?
Now the difference between the total price of the parts and the selling price is not the profit of Samsung. They have to cover a lot of other costs before they make a profit on the Samsung Galaxy S9+. For example, they need to develop their own software, sales, advertisement, and the salary of its personnel. Let’s have a look at the total price of the Samsung Galaxy S9+ components!
| Total Component Costs Samsung Galaxy S9+ | |
|---|---|
| Applications/Baseband Processor: | $68 |
| Battery: | $5.50 |
| Camera/Image: | $48 |
| Connectivty: | $12 |
| Display/Touchscreen: | $72.50 |
| Memory: Non-Volatile: | $12 |
| Memory: Volatile: | $39 |
| Non-Electronics: | $29 |
| Other: | $15 |
| Power Management/Audio: | $8.50 |
| RF Component: | $23.50 |
| Sensor: | $5 |
| Substrates: | $19.50 |
| Supporting Materials: | $9 |
| Final Assembly & Test: | $12.50 |
| Total: | $379 |
Conclusion
The difference between the cost price and the selling price is $460. For the difference alone, you can get some really nice smartphones, like the Elephone U Pro or the Xiaomi Mi Note 3. The hardware inside the Samsung Galaxy S9+ is better and you can probably last longer with the smartphone due to the better support. (Xiaomi is doing a good job with software updates).
In the Samsung Galaxy S9+, the display is the most expensive part again. This was the same in the iPhone XS Max. Now another thing stood out to me, the battery. This is just $5.50! This is surprisingly low if you ask me. The Samsung Galaxy S9+ is more affordable and the price is expected to drop more in the future.
All the information and prices are produced by TechInsights.
Find out what it costs to make the iPhone XS Max! Click here!