The fact that the Nokia N8 costs as much as the iPhone 4 in terms of components is a little bit surprising given the disparity between the two devices. According to iSuppli, the N8 costs $187.47 to build, while the iPhone 4 is $187.51. Without a contract, the iPhone 4 goes for $599 for a 16GB version and the N8 runs for $549 in the U.S. Of course, the only trouble there is the whole “if and when” part when it comes to a subsidy for the N8, which will be likely from AT&T.
What’s interesting is the cost of materials here when they’re dramatically different phones. The camera on the Nokia N8 is better than on the iPhone 4 – the former being a “12-megapixel main camera using a five-element Carl Zeiss AG lens.” The N8’s display is also a lower resolution one than on the iPhone – 640 x 360 versus the iPhone’s 960 x 640. Nokia employs a 680MHz processor, which is underpowered, while Apple uses its 1GHz A4 chip.
Nokia uses aluminum for the body of its new smartphone while the Apple smartphone is composed of aluminosilicate glass with a stainless steel frame. The difference in feeling between the two is dramatic, with the iPhone feeling like a more finely made work of art versus the Nokia, which feels just like what it is – a gadget. And I’ve had plenty of hands on time with both devices.
It just goes to show that it’s not about the dollars you put into your product, but what you do with those dollars. Plenty of N8 reviews are already up online and most of them don’t put the smartphone in a nice light. Some reviews are just plain harsh.
Not to say the Nokia N8 hardware is drastically inferior to the iPhone, but the components and cost aside, it’s a combination of the hardware and software and how they interface with each other. I wanted to get excited about the latest Nokia smartphone, but Symbian^3 is really the phone’s downfall. Pee-in-your-pants Android would have made it a better phone, or perhaps a future version with MeeGo.
[Via: Bloomberg]