IHS iSuppli this week revealed the results of eight tablet that they tore down. The results showed us that with Apple controlling iOS, it allows themselves to reduce the costs of the devices by limiting memory and using thinner batteries.
The iPad 2 contains 512 megabytes of ram, just a fraction of what most other tablets have, but with lower memory, it allows Apple to save $14 in manufacturing costs.
By controlling the operating system, Apple can make sure that the applications can use memory efficient, making 512 megabytes more than enough memory to run the apps.
If you look at the chart above, you can see that the iPad one of the cheapest tablet on the list, while other tablets are almost $200 more than the iPad
Apple’s battery design also allows the iPad to be the thinnest on the market, while having a long lasting life.
via: IHS iSuppli
Apple’s control over the operating system allows it to reduce costs by limiting the quantity of memory in the iPad. In the current-generation iPad 2, the density of synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM) is 512 megabytes—half that of the 1 gigabtye used in competitive designs. This memory density reduction results in a nearly $14 reduction in the BOM of the iPad 2 compared to other tablets. Likewise, the original iPad contained half as much SDRAM as comparable competitive devices with single-core applications processors.
“The iPad’s efficient memory usage stems from the fundamental difference in the architecture of the operating system,” Lam said. “Apple’s iOS handles multitasking differently than other tablet operating systems, allowing it to reduce the amount of memory required to support the microprocessor.”
Also, Apple’s tight management of its product design, software integration and component selection also allow the iPad’s battery to be the thinnest of all competing tablet designs while still having the largest capacity.