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Moto X Teardown Reveals that Made in USA Costs $5 Extra
By , - Source: Tom's Hardware US

The Moto X smartphone is an interesting device not only because it's one of the first Google-influenced Android devices from Motorola, but also because it's made in the U.S. In a sea of consumer electronics that are made in Asia, having a domestically assembled is both notable and unusual.

A teardown analysis by research firm IHS revealed that manufacturing costs for the Moto X are around $12, which is $4 or $5 higher than comparable phones that are made in Asia. A fist full of dollars may not sound like much when talking about one device, but the cost is significant when multiplied by hundreds of thousands of phones.

The added cost of producing the Moto X in Texas, however, has enabled Motorola to offer a customization program where consumers can customize the color scheme of their devices without a significant impact on delivery time. Currently this service is only offered to AT&T customers.

The total cost to build the Moto X comes to an estimated $221, with the major costs being the main processor for $28 and the AMOLED display at $62.50.

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