The Apple iPhone announced earlier this month should pay off handsomely for the company with more than 50 percent gross margins for each version of the music-enabled smart phone, according to market researcher iSuppli. The Apple iPhone Users don’t have to worry too much, however, because iSuppli believes Apple will have to reduce iPhone prices to compete against other handset makers.The gross margin on the 4GB version of the iPhone will be nearly 51 percent, iSuppli said Thursday. The handset is expected to retail for US$499, but the cost of components and assembly are less than half that price, just $229.85.The premium version of the iPhone, the one that holds 8GB of music, photos and other data, will be even more profitable. It will cost about $264.85 to make, but sell in stores for $599, for a 53.1 percent gross margin, iSuppli said. Over time, Apple will be able to increase its profits, or lower the price tag, as it ramps up production of the iPhone, iSuppli said. In general, once sales of a hot new product start rising, a company such as Apple will increase orders, and component suppliers will reduce their price per part to win those larger orders. The Apple iPhone[2] It’s important to note that iSuppli did not actually have an iPhone to tear apart for its cost analysis. The price and profit figures are estimates based on the features Apple has announced for the handset. “iSuppli has a high degree of confidence in its conclusions,” it said in the report. Apple could not be reached for comment on the iSuppli report.The price tag on the iPhone may have to come down to attract users anyway, iSuppli said, because it will be competing with 835 other music phone models expected to be launched this year.There are already 14 music-enabled mobile phones with features similar to the Apple iPhone shipping from companies including Nokia, Motorola and Samsung Electronics, the market researcher said.-Dan Nystedt, IDG News Service (Taipei Bureau)Related Links: Cisco Hits Apple With Lawsuit over iPhone Name Why the iPhone Is the Single Most Important Thing to Happen to CIOs This Year Why Apple i-Anything Is a Non-Issue for CIOs and Corporate America Apple Ad Hints That iPhone Will Have Arm Chip InsideCheck out our CIO News Alerts and Tech Informer pages for more updated news coverage. Related content BrandPost Retail innovation playbook: Fast, economical transformation on Microsoft Cloud For retailers, tight integration of data and systems is the antidote to a challenging economy. By Tata Consultancy Services Mar 24, 2023 3 mins Retail Industry Digital Transformation BrandPost How retailers are empowering business transformation with TCS and Microsoft Cloud AI-powered omnichannel integration and a strong, secure digital core lets retailers innovate across four primary areas while staying compliant, maintaining security and preventing fraud. By Tata Consultancy Services Mar 24, 2023 4 mins Retail Industry Cloud Computing BrandPost How to Build ROI from Cloud Migration This whitepaper and webcast can help you calculate the ROI and create a business case for modernizing your legacy applications to the Microsoft Cloud. By Tata Consultancy Services Mar 24, 2023 1 min Retail Industry Cloud Computing BrandPost How to power a sustainable enterprise on Microsoft Cloud In this eBook, we’ll follow the journey of Amal Skye, a fictitious woman who is committed to living in a way that preserves the planet for the future —and how businesses like Tata Consultancy Services and Microsoft are making that possi By Tata Consultancy Services Mar 24, 2023 1 min Retail Industry Green IT Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe