Thanks to its 4G LTE chipset, the HTC ThunderBolt is the most expensive smartphone on the market. Will Apple choose to bear the price of 4G LTE in its next iPhone?
From a cost-to-build perspective, the HTC ThunderBolt may be the most expensive phone on the market thanks to its pricey 4G LTE chipset, reports IHS. The cost of the 4G amplifiers, power management, chipsets, etc come out to $39.75, boosting the total cost of the ThunderBolt to $262–a new record.
While we can understand why HTC might bear the bill to have the first 4G LTE handset, we must note that it didn’t come without a price hike for consumers. The ThunderBolt costs $249 with a two-year contract, about $50 higher than smartphones a year ago, meaning consumers are paying for the price of 4G before a single 4G data bill comes in the mail.
With that said, will Apple take a hit and implement 4G in its upcoming iPhone 5? The price of the Verizon iPhone 4 is $171.35, meaning that if Apple chooses to add a similar chipset to the ThunderBolt, it could drive up the cost of the phone to $211.10, and that’s assuming the Cuppertino manufacturer hasn’t made any other expensive design or functionality decisions. more at DigitalTrends
