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BlackBerry’s new Z10 smart phone may cost you an arm and a leg to acquire, but a recent teardown reveals that BlackBerry isn’t spending nearly as much on actually bolting the thing together.
The analysis was conducted by the intrepid chaps at TechInsights, who pulled a 16GB model of BlackBerry’s new blower apart and tallied the cost of each individual component. The prices are given in dollars, but I’ve stuck a rough sterling conversion in brackets beside each figure.
The phone’s 4.2-inch display costs $19 (£12), while the touchscreen that covers the display sets BlackBerry back $7.50 (£4.80). The camera costs $15 (£9.70), while the dual-core processor inside the phone cost $23.50 (£15).
One of the cheaper components was the battery, which set the Z10-maker back a mere $3 (£1.90), it’s estimated. Uninspiring battery life was a criticism levelled at the Z10 in our review, so perhaps BlackBerry should have splashed out a little more.
In total, the Z10’s components are estimated to cost $154, or £99.40. The cost is reckoned to be about $14.80 (£9.60) more than it costs Apple to build the 16GB iPhone 5.
In case you’re feeling outraged that BlackBerry is charging so much when its phone costs relatively little to build (perhaps you’re thinking you’ll just build your own BlackBerry Z10 out of wood and skateboard wheels), bear in mind that £99 doesn’t include the cost of building, shipping and marketing the phone, or paying Alicia Keys’ Global Creative Director salary.
I was fond of the BlackBerry Z10’s design and built-in picture editing, but found that a high price, coupled with software quirks and a lack of apps, make it hard to recommend over Android or iOS rivals. Check out the video review below to learn more.
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