Ryan Haines / Android Authority
TL;DR
- A new report reveals that the Galaxy S25 Ultra costs a little more to make than the Galaxy S24 Ultra.
- Samsung reportedly spent an estimated 21% more on the phone’s processor.
- The report also found that camera, casing, and RF costs were lower than last year’s phone.
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra launched way back in January, and it maintains the same $1,299 price tag as last year’s phone. However, a report suggests that the latest Ultra phone costs more to make.
So what’s the big reason for the higher estimate? Well, Counterpoint says this is largely due to an estimated 21% increase in processor costs, as the S25 Ultra jumps from the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 to the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chip. This news isn’t a surprise, as Qualcomm previously confirmed that the chip would be more expensive than the 8 Gen 3.
The tracking firm also noted that memory costs saw a “slight rise” compared to the Galaxy S24 Ultra. Nevertheless, the chipset is clearly the main reason for the increase in BoM costs.
Lower costs elsewhere
Otherwise, Counterpoint says camera costs are 8% lower than last year. This is despite the introduction of a 50MP ultrawide camera, although Samsung hasn’t changed the primary shooter, the 3x telephoto camera, or the selfie camera in several years. It added that RF (cellular/wireless connectivity) costs were more than 10% lower, casing/frame costs dropped by roughly 8%, and that display costs saw a single-digit percentage reduction.
This report makes us wonder whether Samsung could’ve offered a price drop or beefed-up specs if the Snapdragon 8 Elite chip were cheaper. Then again, it’s more likely that Samsung would’ve retained the $1,299 price tag even if it cost less to make. It’s also worth noting that these BoM reports don’t include other costs like marketing, research and development, labor, device packaging, and more.
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