RIM’s BlackBerry Storm costs a little more to build than Apple’s iPhone 3G, according to research firm iSuppli.
iSuppli estimates it costs RIM $203 to build each BlackBerry Storm, according to a report summarized by BusinessWeek . Meanwhile, it costs Apple (AAPL) about $175 to build each iPhone 3G, iSuppli estimated last summer.
One big difference: A $35 Qualcomm (QCOM) chip that lets the Storm work on more wireless carriers than the iPhone, including both CDMA-based carriers like Verizon Wireless (VZ) and GSM-based carriers like Vodafone (VOD). The Storm also has a better camera than the iPhone, though it appears to add greater bulk.
iSuppli’s analysis doesn’t include the cost of developing either phone or of marketing and selling the devices, either of which should push the price significantly higher. The higher Storm pricing suggests Verizon is subsidizing its handset through contract pricing more heavily than AT&T does the iPhone
However, the use of CDMA potentially helps offset RIM’s costs by letting it sell the phone through carriers like Bell, Telus and Verizon in addition to those in Europe. Apple is limited to offering the iPhone through AT&T and Rogers if it wants full 3G support in North America, though its 3G is supported in more foreign countries.