Motorola Q ripped apart by iSuppli

THE GUYS at market research firm iSuppli have ripped apart the Motorola Q and have found good things inside.

The bill of materials (BOM) for the smart phone amounts to $158 including manufacturing expenses, concludes the Teardown Analysis Service at the firm.

And that makes for aggressive pricing, with Verizon offering the Q for $199 with a two year one contract - one year costs $349. The dual band CDMA Bluetooth phone includes dual stereo speakers, a 1.3 megapix digicam with flash, a 2.4-inch TFT display and a 35 key QWERTY keyboard as well as Windows Mobile 5, Pocket IE and the Windows Media player.

The display module is the most expensive component in the BOM at $25. Here's what iSuppli reckons the other bits and pieces cost.

Component/Subsystem	Cost
TFT-LCD display module	$25
Memory (Intel and M Systems MCPs)	$22
Applications processor (Intel Xscale)	$19
Digital Baseband (Qualcomm MSM6500)	$14
Camera module	$7
Subtotal of main cost drivers	$87
Total Materials Costs	$150
Total Materials with Manufacturing	$158

Motorola hopes this one is a winner. It predicts Q shipments in 2006 will be more than five million units, with three million shipped in Q4. However, iSuppli analysts are still uncertain if it can meet its targets because of established competitors and a market of limited size. µ

L'INQ
iSuppli