Build Your Own T-Mobile G1 for $143.89

I know Will posted on this earlier, but I love the guys over at iSuppli and had to jot down my thoughts on this one… When I heard they took apart the T-Mobile (NYSE: DT) G1, the techno-dweeb inside of me got giddy and started laughing.

They took the unit apart piece-by-piece, and calculated the build of materials (BOM) cost. As you can tell from the lovely title of this post, the BOM cost of the device is $143.89. I should note however, that this estimate includes only the component and material costs for the G1. This doesn’t account for other expenses including software, R&D, manufacturing costs and more.

So, in theory if you had the bulk discounts, knowledge and know-how, you could technically build yourself a G1 for that price. That is, if you bill $0/hr for your labor, manufacturing and R&D time on the project.

Key components and their cost:

• Baseband – $28.49
• Display – $19.67
• Camera – $12.13
• Radio Frequency (RF)/Power Amplifier (PA) portion – $9.84
• Remaining components – $73.76.

With the G1 selling at just under $180, are you surprised at the BOM cost for the device? Is the price-tag good value for your money… in your eyes?

[Via: iSuppli]