isuppli

Tuesday, I linked to a Dow Jones story on CNN's Money Web site about a virtual teardown iSuppli did on T-Mobile's fancy G1, the first commercial smartphone to run Google's Android. Some readers had issues with the story, and I'm going to address those here.

First, I quoted the price of the G1 at $399 instead of the $179 new customers typically get. This was due to a communications mixup between me and one of my T-Mobile marketing contacts. He was giving me the unsubsidized price, not the retail price, probably thinking I was inquiring to … Read more

Update: 4 p.m. Wednesday: Let's get this G1 cost thing straight, shall we? Writer Matt Hickey clarifies some of the points he made in the post below and thanks readers for their feedback. This post was also altered to reflect the correct retail price for the G1.

When it comes to the next-gen phone wars, two handsets immediately come to mind: Apple's iPhone and the G1 from HTC and T-Mobile, the first commercially available phone to run Google's Android OS.

The G1 retails to new customers for $179, while the basic-model iPhone goes for for $199. … Read more

With all the buzz about solid-state drives that Intel, Super Talent Technology, and other companies have been making, I am a little surprised to learn that the NAND flash-memory market--once one of the fastest-growing segments of the global semiconductor industry--is actually facing a historic downturn.

According to a forecast released on Friday by iSuppi, a technology research and advisory-services provider, the NAND-type flash-memory market has been stricken by weakening consumer spending, causing revenue to decline in 2008. Revenue is expected to decline in 2009, also.

In 2007, total worldwide revenue of the market was $13.9 billion; in 2008, this … Read more

Updated at 2:50 p.m. with correction of comments in FORM 10-Q

Intel reiterated in an SEC filing Friday that business conditions may worsen and that demand for its chips may take a hit because of global economic conditions.

As a result of the recent financial crisis, "there could be a number of follow-on effects from the credit crisis on Intel's business, including insolvency of key suppliers resulting in product delays; inability of customers to obtain credit to finance purchases of our products and/or customer insolvencies," Intel restated in a FORM 10-Q filing.

Intel also … Read more

Along with the economy, chip forecasts are heading south.

Following an outlook about weak chip industry capital spending from market researcher Gartner on Wednesday, iSuppli cut its 2008 IC revenue forecast to 3.5 percent from 4 percent on Thursday.

The memory chip industry is the canary in the coal mine. At least two memory chip manufacturers are on life support right now. Hynix, the world's second largest maker of memory, is trying to scare up cash by seeking buyers for a 36 percent stake in the company. The other ailing memory maker is Qimonda AG. Rumors have been … Read more

The last five days have been all about breaking down the iPhone 3G--how the big release went, how many phones have sold, how the device lives up to its promise.

Now, some more numbers to toss in the mix: iSuppli has completed its iPhone 3G teardown analysis and estimated that Apple cut more than $50 from manufacturing costs per unit since the first-generation phone made its debut last year. Profit margins for the new gadget, according to the market research firm, are measuring in the range of 55 percent.

Apple spent $174.33 for initial production costs for the … Read more

Apple has cut its 2008 flash memory orders by $200 million, according to iSuppli, setting up a down year for flash vendors.

In February, iSuppli reported that Apple was slashing its orders of flash memory amid a weakening economy, but iSuppli wasn't sure exactly how far the cuts would go. After crunching the numbers, iSuppli now expects Apple to spend $1.4 billion on flash this year for iPods and iPhones, up 12 percent from $1.2 billion last year. But the analyst firm, and the flash memory industry, had been expecting much more purchasing out of Apple, at … Read more

Correction, February 22: This story misidentified how much iSuppli expects Apple to spend on flash memory this year. The company doesn't yet have a revised estimate for how much Apple expects to spend, and won't until more information becomes available.

Apple is reportedly cutting its flash memory orders for the year, in another sign it's worried about the economy.

iSuppli reported Wednesday that Apple has started informing its flash memory suppliers that it's planning to use less flash memory in 2008. Apple's still planning to purchase 27 percent more flash memory this year than last … Read more

Stronger-than-expected notebook shipments in the beginning of the year should push the overall growth of the PC market higher than previously anticipated, according to market research firm iSuppli.

The worldwide PC industry is expected to reach 264 million units in 2007, up 11.2 percent from 239 million units shipped last year, according to iSuppli. The previous estimate was 10.7 percent growth for the year.

The firm, which periodically issues forecasts for a variety of markets, said Monday that shipments of notebook PCs in the first quarter of 2007 were up 23 percent, 3 percent higher than previously anticipated. … Read more