Samsung Q1EX Ultra Mobile PC Teardown

Overview / Main Features

The Samsung NP-Q1EX is a mobile internet device/personal media player which is built around the Via Technologies ULV U2500 CPU and the VX820 chipset. The NP-Q1EX is billed as a UMPC, and indeed does use the same processor found in many UMPCs. The NP-Q1EX is a newer revision of the Q1B, which is a model we have analyzed before. Compared to the Q1B it features an updated CPU and chipset, as well as more RAM. It shares the same screen as the Viliv X70 EX. The NP-Q1EX supports an external keyboard dock and an extended battery via the expansion port.

The Samsung NP-Q1EX also comes equipped with 2GB of DDR2 SDRAM, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, 802.11 b/g connectivity, a camera, 60GB hard drive, and 7 1024 x 600 TFT w/ resistive touchscreen. The NP-Q1EX runs Windows XP Tablet Edition.

Samsung Q1EX Ultra Mobile PC Main Image

Ultra-portable computing

Released

Per press releases, first release in 2009 on July 6.

Samsung Q1EX Ultra Mobile PC - Motherboard Top

At the time of this writing, the Samsung NP-Q1EX sells for approximately $750.

Availability - Available worldwide.

Volume Estimations

For the purposes of this teardown analysis, we have assumed a lifetime production volume of 875,000 units.

As a reminder, teardown volume production assumptions are primarily used for our cost analysis in terms of amortized NRE and tooling costs, especially for custom components specific to the model being analyzed (mechanical components especially). Unless assumed volumes are different by an order of magnitude, minor changes in volume (say 1 million vs. 2) rarely have a large net effect on our final analysis because of this.

Samsung Q1EX Ultra Mobile PC - Motherboard Bottom

Main Cost Drivers Representing ~80% of total materials cost

Samsung Semiconductor - HS060HB - Hard Drive - 60GB, 1.8', PATA/ZIF, 3Gb/s, 4200rpm, 2MB Buffer

Samsung Semiconductor - M470T5663QZ3-CF7 - SODIMM DDR2-800 - 2GB, 1Gb x 16, 1.8V

Samsung Semiconductor - AA-PB0UC4B - Battery Pack - Li-ion, 7.4V, 4000mAh, 29Wh

VIA Technologies - VX820 - Northbridge / Southbridge - w/ Integrated VIA Chrome9 HC3 Graphics, HD Audio, DDR2 and Dual Independent Display Support, w/ Integrated LVDS / DVI Transmitter

Chunghwa Picture Tubes, Ltd - CLAA070NC0BCT - Display Module Value Line Item - 7.0' TFT LED Backlit LCD, 1024x600 (WSVGA), 153.6 x 90.0mm Active Area, 400:1 Contrast Ratio, 300 cd/m^2 Brightness, 5ms Response Time

VIA Technologies - U2500 - CPU - VIA Nano ULV Processor, 1.2GHz, 1MB L2 Cache, 800MHz FSB, 6.8Watts, 65nm

Nan Ya PCB - 10-Layer - FR4/RCF HDI, 1+8+1, Lead-Free, Halogen-Free

WLAN / Bluetooth Half Mini PCIe Module Value Line Item - IEEE802.11b/g, Bluetooth V2.0

Toshiba Home Technology Corporation - Fan/Cooler Assembly - 5VDC, 100mA, w/ 2 Discrete Insulated Wires and 1 Pin Socket Connector, w/ Metal Housing and Plate, w/ Copper Heat Tube and Machined Aluminum Fins, w/ 3 Spring-Loaded Mounting Tab and 2 Pressed-In Pins

Delta Electronics - ADP-40MH BB - AC Adapter - 19V, 2.4A, 65W, w/ 5.8ft Cord & Velcro Strap

Camera Module Value Line Item - 1.3MP, CMOS, 1/5' Format, Fixed Lens

Touchscreen Overlay - 7', 4-Wire Resistive, PET Film over ITO Glass, w/ Integral Flex PCB

USBLK-005 - USB Link Cable - 5ft, w/ TDK Magnetic Filter

Total BOM Costs $236.24

What Is Not Included in our Cost Analysis

The total materials and manufacturing costs reported in this analysis reflect ONLY the direct materials cost (from component vendors and assorted EMS providers), AND manufacturing with basic test. Not included in this analysis are costs above and beyond the material manufacture of the core device itself - cost of intellectual property, royalties and licensing fees (those not already included into the per component price), software, software loading and test, shipping, logistics marketing and other channel costs including not only EMS provider and the OEM's margin, but that of other resellers. Our cost analysis is meant to focus on those costs incurred in the manufacture of the core device and exceptionally in some circumstances the packaging and literature as well.

Manufacturing Notes

Country of Origin / Volume Assumptions

Based on markings, the unit was assembled in China. Furthermore, we have assumed that custom mechanicals (plastics, metals, etc.) were also sourced in China.

Country of origin assumptions relate directly to the associated cost of manufacturing, where calculated by iSuppli. In the cases of 'finished' sub-assemblies (such as LCD display), we do not calculate internal manufacturing costs, but rather assess the market price of the finished product in which case country of origin assumptions may or may not have a direct effect on pricing.

Remember also that labor rates are applied directly only to hand inserted components and systems in our bill of materials, and although regional assumptions do, these new rates do not have a direct effect on our modeled calculations of placement costs for automated SMD assembly lines. ""Auto" inserted components (such as SMT components) placement costs are calculated by an iSuppli algorithm which allocates a cost per component based on the size and pincount of the device. This calculation is affected by country or region of origin as well.

Samsung Q1EX Ultra Mobile PC - Enclosure Disassembly

Design for Manufacturing / Device Complexity

The Samsung NP-Q1EX has an overall component count of 1150 (excluding box contents), of which, 192 are mechanical in nature.

Component counts have a direct bearing on the overall manufacturing cycle times and costs, and also can increase or decrease overall yields and re-work. Our calculations of manufacturing costs factor counts and more qualitative complexities in the design. The cost of manufacturing is also, to some extent, decreased in this case because of assumed labor rate applied for China.

Note that manual labor has a much smaller effect on auto-insertion assembly lines (for the Main PCB, for example), where manufacturing costs are much more capital equipment intensive and driven by these investment costs.

Design Notes

The Samsung NP-Q1EX uses the Via Technologies U2500 ULV CPU which we have not seen in a device for a while. Typically in netbooks or MIDs we come across Intel Atom or other Intel ULV processor based solutions. It is assumed that the Via is a lower performance and therefore less expensive solution to implement. Additionally at idle the U2500 only uses 100mW of power. The NP-Q1EX also has an integrated Northbridge/Southbridge Single chip solution (VX820). This design is probably used to cut costs but also to simplify the design.

The display on the NP-Q1EX is the same display we saw on the Viliv X70 EX, it is a 7" LED LCD, with a resolution of 1024 x 600. It is manufactured by Chunghwa Picture Tubes, Ltd.

Here is a summary of the major components of the Samsung NP-Q1EX Ultra Mobile PC design

Main PCB

CPU

• CPU - Via Technologies - U2500 - VIA Nano ULV Processor, 1.2GHz, 1MB L2 Cache, 800MHz FSB, 6.8Watts, 65nm

Chipset

• Northbridge / Southbridge - Via Technologies - VX820 - Integrated VIA Chrome9 HC3 Graphics, HD Audio, DDR2 and Dual Independent Display Support, w/ Integrated LVDS / DVI Transmitter

I/O & Interface

• Audio Codec - Realtek - ALC272-GR - 4 Channel, High Definition
• Image Processor - EETI - EM2770

Memory

• Memory - Samsung Semiconductor - M470T5663QZ3-CF7 - DDR2-800, 2GB, 1.8V, SODIMM

WLAN/Bluetooth

• WLAN - Cybertan - VX821 - IEEE 802.11b/g, Contains Marvell Die
• Bluetooth - CSR - BC41B143A06 - Single Chip Bluetooth Solution, V2.0+EDR

Display

• Display Module - 7.0" Diagonal, 16.7M Color TFT Color LCD, 1024 x 600 pixels

Storage Device

• Hard Drive - Samsung Semiconductor - K9LBG08U0M-PCB0 - NAND, MLC, 32Gb

Samsung Q1EX Ultra Mobile PC - Box Contents