Palm Touchstone torn asunder, cost to manufacturer estimated at $5 (update)

As much as we love those guys and gals over at Will It Blend?, we couldn't help but cringe each time they "dissected" any given gadget. The cautious cats over at iFixit, however, are more our style. Gentle, loving, appreciative and respectful -- what else could you want in a gizmo surgeon? Per usual, they've done whatever it takes to get ahold of Palm's new Pre and Touchstone, but rather than basking in the glory of ownership, they promptly unrolled their tool belt, fired up the DSLR and proceeded to dissemble both units for your viewing pleasure. We already know that all those little innards add up to right around $170 (for the Pre, anyway), but there's nothing quite like looking at each and every chip and bit yourself. Hit up the read links below if you find your interest piqued, and don't forget to tip your hat as you exit.

Update: Through their official Twitter account, the iFixit folks have chimed in to say they'd be "shocked if it cost more than $5 to manufacture." As always, that's not the whole story and there's probably a good number of other variables justifiably contributing to the cost, but knowing $70 is a bit of a turn-off for some customers, we can only hope that price drops sooner rather than later.

Read - Palm Pre teardown
Read - Palm Touchstone teardown

[grull27 @ Jun 7th 2009 11:30AM]

It's beautiful even when it's in pieces.

[Thunda Chunky @ Jun 9th 2009 3:36PM]

I think every thing is beautiful when it's stripped down to the bear essentials. It brings a tear to my eye anyway. But hey I'm just a nerd.

[Quantumphysics @ Jun 7th 2009 11:51AM]

The PRE is an awesome phone, as are many of the other wannabe iPhone Killers...but unlike the iPhone, the PRe only improves on the iPhone design in ways that don't really seperate it from the iPhone.

-multitasking? Any phone can get that.

- 3.2 MP Camera with photo backlogging? Any phone can get that.

What does Pre really do differently or what are its unique points?

[mac404 @ Jun 7th 2009 11:52AM]

Bear essentials? You going camping, later?

[blueadept1 @ Jun 7th 2009 12:14PM]

Quantumphysics: What are the iPhone's unique points that cannot be replicated? Apple's patents haven't seemed to protect it this time. What is the Pre missing?

[Thunda Chunky @ Jun 7th 2009 12:24PM]

@ mac404

Sure am. Me and the GPU are gonna roast marshmallows and swap ghost drive stories.

[SimbaDogg @ Jun 7th 2009 12:50PM]

its a nice phone...i played with it for a good 20 minutes yesterday. two things its 1) two small for my liking. i think they could have afforded to make the screen at least .5 bigger. 2) man oh man, i guess this is true w/ all palms, not just the pre but that hardware keyboard was hard as hell to type on. maybe i have clinically obese thumbs or something, but that was tough. guess i'll have to wait for the touch pro 2, thats an example of a keyboard made for obese thumbs

[iphonerulez @ Jun 7th 2009 12:50PM]

Take a long, close look at this disassembled Pre because it's the last anyone will ever hear or see of it once the iPhone Video is announced.

"Bear" essentials? Since when did bears start carrying handsets? Still, even a bear would choose to carry an iPhone. It would certainly be easier for him to get one or two from all the campers that carry them.

Looking at this tear-down photo reminds of how they showed the flood-proof compartment design of the Titanic after it sunk and killed a countless number of souls. This tear-down may prove to be the undoing of the Pre especially when so many Pres will be have be brought in to get repaired after a few months use.

[grull27 @ Jun 7th 2009 12:54PM]

iPhonerulez, seeing that you're an iDiot, I thought you would be smart when it comes to one thing, Apple products. I was wrong because you actually believe that the iPhone announced on Monday will be named the iPhone Video. oh lawd

[SONYEDDIE @ Jun 7th 2009 1:22PM]

sexy

[Mark Anderson @ Jun 7th 2009 1:45PM]

"-multitasking? Any phone can get that"

Apart from the iPhone. Which I guess would be the difference.

[Loonie @ Jun 7th 2009 5:24PM]

Thank goodness all the iPhone kids are here to show us how not at all insecure they are.

[iphonerulez @ Jun 7th 2009 7:40PM]

Is the $65 extra that customers pay for the Touchstone called the Palm tax. It's OK, because if Palm isn't able to make a bit of profit, they will soon be facing bankruptcy. Let's just pray this Touchstone charger doesn't overheat and self-destruct faster than the Pre does.

[Patriks7 @ Jun 8th 2009 5:16AM]

"-multitasking? Any phone can get that.

- 3.2 MP Camera with photo backlogging? Any phone can get that.

What does Pre really do differently or what are its unique points?"

Except for the iPhone...

[TareX @ Jun 7th 2009 11:34AM]

And still, the CPU clockspeed remains unknown?

[autoprime @ Jun 7th 2009 11:40AM]

someone didnt read the article.

"The processor is a 600 MHz ARM Cortex A8 + PowerVR SGX 530 GPU + 430MHz C64x+ DSP + ISP (Image Signal Processor)"

[redcard @ Jun 7th 2009 5:34PM]

But the iphone does multitask. Only the other day I was browsing the web while listening to music, checking for email every 15 minutes, and I took in between I took a couple of phone calls. Maybe you've never used one, Mark?

[redcard @ Jun 7th 2009 5:36PM]

PS and that was before jailbreaking

[TareX @ Jun 7th 2009 5:42PM]

no redcard we all used an iPhone. It doesn't multitask. Only native apps like the ones you are describing can run simultanously.

[Das Gluten @ Jun 7th 2009 11:37AM]

Deja vu I guess...
http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/06/palm-pre-already-torn-to-shreds-estimated-to-cost-170/
How about some real news.

[cg0def @ Jun 7th 2009 11:42AM]

come on it's engadget after all. Repeats, while rare nowadays, do still happen!

[ananimus3 @ Jun 7th 2009 3:36PM]

Except that this is a Touchstone tear down, not a Pre tear down.

[Templarian @ Jun 7th 2009 3:50PM]

@ananimus3, it was edited. For those that don't read the articles the minute they are posted.

[tekdroid @ Jun 7th 2009 11:42AM]

Yep, no room for MicroSD. They couldn't possibly fit another thing in.

[Dutch @ Jun 7th 2009 12:41PM]

Um, one dues not build a casing and then try and fit components in. A micro SD and cables (a hair thin strip actually) would take the volume of a nickel or less. One would design it in. The SD card slot was not left out for the sake of room, or even of cost ($4 for parts and design costs), but to allow a premium 16 and then 32 GB model in future.
Limited non expandable memory are part of older thinking older computing models, but they offer an advantage in creating a future premium product line

[Robb @ Jun 7th 2009 3:26PM]

I remember reading somewhere that an expandable card slot was left out entirely for aesthetics... strictly from a design standpoint.

[PeterF @ Jun 7th 2009 4:37PM]

aesthetics is just an excuse. Look at what HTC does, puts them under the battery cover! Problem solved!

[Jacob @ Jun 7th 2009 6:05PM]

no microSD is bullshit, Palm is learning how to bullshit from the king bullshitters, Apple.

[eidolon @ Jun 7th 2009 11:45AM]

Is it true that the touchstone is much slower at charging the Pre than USB?

[CL @ Jun 7th 2009 11:56AM]

From what I've read so far, it seems to be anywhere from 40-60% slower than using the regular wall charger, but it's still faster than charging the phone from the USB ports on your computer. Also, given how flimsy the USB port cover on the phone looks like, I think it's a good idea to get the touch stone. (if you can find one, I looked around a few Sprint and Best Buy stores and none of them have it in stock)

[mattbates @ Jun 7th 2009 2:36PM]

@CL. Exactly what I think. The USB cover is tough as hell to remove, and I'm scared I'll break it. And seeing that the freaking Touchstone is this cheap, maybe they'll lower the price to something reasonable sometime soon.

[Beeswax @ Jun 7th 2009 6:09PM]

The USB cover was pretty difficult the first couple of times, but I've gotten the hang of mine now. You just have to dig in with your fingernail on the furthest to the back edge of the cover, then it pops out easily. But yes, it does seem flimsy :(

[gareth @ Jun 7th 2009 11:47AM]

no info on the VRAM ?

[rsmliu @ Jun 7th 2009 11:48AM]

Sorry to hear that the keyboard reveal is a bit awkward, but I'm sure that will change with future models. I'm very excited to try out the WebOS, after all that we've heard about it.

[superhobo @ Jun 7th 2009 11:48AM]

D...did it...blend...?

No, don't tell me, I don't want to know!

[BAWWW @ Jun 7th 2009 11:50AM]

DON'T LOOK
IT'S NAKED

[TREX6662k5 @ Jun 7th 2009 12:18PM]

THINK OF THE CHILDREN!

[Anthony @ Jun 8th 2009 3:56AM]

MY SPOOOOOON IS TOO BIG !!

[lc44lc @ Jun 7th 2009 12:13PM]

Seems like most of the Pres out there are having major screen distortion isues. See here:

http://forums.precentral.net/palm-pre/182589-anyone-noticing-little-distortion.html

Some people think this is a heat-related issue.

[tekdroid @ Jun 7th 2009 12:28PM]

PREheated?

[Dragonfly @ Jun 7th 2009 12:38PM]

Palm need to get this sorted asap! It would be a disaster with very, very deadly consequences, if the Pre had to be recalled because of this issue. If that happens we can pretty much kiss Palm goodbye. This is a very good example of what can happen when you choose to buy a version one product.

[Dutch @ Jun 7th 2009 12:45PM]

Mine has a light leak and blotchyness on the lower part of the screen and up the right side. Looks terrible. Sprint support seems swamped on this issue

[iphonerulez @ Jun 7th 2009 1:04PM]

Don't tell me the Pre is starting to self-destruct on the first day's use. I figured it would take at least a week's use for that to happen. That doesn't sound good at all for Palm's share price.

Lucky it happened this soon so Palm users can get their money back and buy the iPhone they should have bought in the first place.

Tomorrow's headlines will read. 20,000 Pres sold in one day. Unfortunately, 19,999 were returned due to overheating problems. Palm set to file for Chapter 11.

[audioboxer @ Jun 7th 2009 2:09PM]

really iphonerulz? How many iphones were returned due to stuck pixels... and I'm not talking 1st gen either. I just returned my 3G last month due to quite a few stuck pixels.

Get over it, no phone is perfect--and the jesusphone is no exception

[absolutc @ Jun 7th 2009 2:19PM]

@audioboxer

Well, a stuck pixel is a bit different than overheating, screen distortion/discoloration. Just a wee bit different :)

[Phenoum @ Jun 8th 2009 1:17AM]

@absolutc

Didnt seem to affect the sales of those Macbook Pro's now did it?

[jason @ Jun 7th 2009 12:21PM]

okokokok

[Steve @ Jun 7th 2009 12:42PM]

Ok have we gotten this silly Palm Pre stuff out of our systems? Tomorrow is WWDC, let's get back to the far more interesting Apple news.

[iphonerulez @ Jun 7th 2009 12:54PM]

If the iPhone Video is announced to be on sale tomorrow, the Apple store lines will start forming the moment it's reported to the general public. Apple will sell a million in a few days and maybe five million in a month.

[Vince @ Jun 7th 2009 2:04PM]

@iphonerulez

iPhone Video?
So you're saying the current AND 1st gen iPhone don't have video capabilities?
O_o
You of all people, I would expect to know that they do have video capabilities....

And what would be so special about it if it did get announced on Monday?
Even my Nokia 3109 can do video....