Samsung Series 7 Slate 700T1A-A01 Tablet PC Teardown

Overview / Main Features

What it is - the Samsung Series 7 Slate 700T1A-A01 is a tablet running full-blown Windows 7 Home Premium with an Intel i5-2467M 1.60GHz core processor. Though it looks and feels like so many consumer oriented tablets that are ARM core based, for many users, the convenience of the tablet form factor with the power of full Windows and the associated enterprise 'Office' suite will be attractive to a certain market segment.

Basic Features - This Samsung Series 7 Slate 700T1A-A01 features Intel i5-2467M 1.60GHz core processor (supported by Intel's HM65 express chipset (platform controller hub)), a Samsung 64GB mSATA SSD, an 11.6 inch diagonal display module (1366x768 resolution) with capacitive touchscreen, as well as a Wacom digitzer built in (mounted under the screen) for 'stylus' usage. We recently tore down the HTC Flyer that also featured the hybrid capacitive touch with digitizer from N-trig, and have noticed a number of tablet designs now featuring this functionality. Wacom has been one of the most well-known solution-providers for digitizers for many years, while N-trig is somewhat of a new entrant to this market place.

The simultaneously analyzed Windows tablet, the ASUS B121-A1, also features a hybrid touchscreen with Wacom digitizer.

Other features of the Samsung Series 7 Slate 700T1A-A01 include 4GB of DDR3 DRAM, a 5520 mAh Li-Ion polymer battery, an Intel based WiFi/BT combo module (half-mini PCIe module), and two webcam modules - one 3MP Full HD and the other a 2MP full HD.

What's interesting about this design (and the concurrently analyzed ASUS Windows 7 tablet) is that in many ways it uses more standard PC or notebook components than other ARM-based tablets we have seen (such as half mini PCIe modules for the combo module). Most other recent tablets have all memory mounted directly (soldered) onto main PCBs, and, in order to save space tend to dispense with serviceability or modularity, as it adds to the form factor (ie thickness) and component count, etc. Actually in the case of this Samsung tablet the DRAM does feature, unlike the competing ASUS in this analysis, DRAM directly mounted to the motherboard, rather than in SO-DIMM format.

Samsung Series 7 Slate 700T1A-A01 Tablet PC Main Image

Consumers wanting full PC functionality in tablet form factor.

Released

December 2011

Samsung Series 7 Slate 700T1A-A01 Tablet PC - Motherboard Top

Pricing - Currently as low as $1049 USD from Amazon at the time of writing (Feb 2012). Most vendors are selling closer to a range of $1150 to $1200 USD.

Availability - Worldwide Assumed

Volume Estimations

For the purposes of this teardown analysis, we have applied a lifetime production volume of approximately 200K 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 Series 7 Slate 700T1A-A01 Tablet PC Cost Analysis

Main Cost Drivers ~83% of Total Materials Cost

Intel - AV8062701047504 - CPU - Intel Core i5-2467M Processor, 3MB Cache, 1.60 GHz, Integrated Graphics & Memory Controller, 32nm (Qty: 1)

Samsung Semiconductor - MZMPA064HMDR - SSD Mini PCIe Module - 64GB, mSATA (Qty: 1)

Mfg Unknown - LTL116AL02-801 - Display Module - 11.6' 1366x768 Pixels, LED Backlight, w/ Built-in Wacom Digitizer & Controller (Qty: 1)

Touchscreen / Display Window - 11.6' Diagonal, Gorilla Glass Over ITO Film, Capacitive, w/ Atmel mXT1386-U & 3x Atmel mXT154 Controllers, Integrated Flex PCB (Qty: 1)

Samsung SDI - AA-PBZN4N - Battery Pack - Li-Ion Polymer, 4-Cell, 7.4V, 5520mAh, w/ Power Management Circuit, Integrated 9 Discrete Wires, 1 9-Position Pin Socket Connector, Black Mylar Insulators & White Mylar Label (Qty: 1)

Elpida - EDJ4208BASE-DJ-F - SDRAM - DDR3-1333, 4Gb, Pb Free, Halogen Free (Qty: 8)

Wacom - Touch Digitizer - Contains Wacom W8008 & BEF35GWA2 Controller ICs (Qty: 1)

Intel - BD82HM65SLJ4P - Platform Controller Hub - HM65 Express Chipset, 3.9W (Qty: 1)

Webcam PCB - Contains 3MP Full HD Auto Focus Camera Module, Alcor Micro AU3823 USB2.0 Camera Controller (Qty: 1)

CMK Global Brand Manufacture - PCB - 8-Layer - FR4, Lead Free, Halogen Free (Qty: 2)

Direct Materials + Manufacturing $500.23

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 in some circumstances the packaging and literature as well.

Samsung Series 7 Slate 700T1A-A01 Tablet PC - Disassembly View 1

Manufacturing Notes

Country of Origin / Volume Assumptions

Based on device markings, we've based our analysis with the final assembly 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 wall power charger), 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.

Design for Manufacturing / Device Complexity

All of the tablets we have looked at since the release of the first iPad have been ARM-based attempts to clone the success of the the Apple iPad they have been imitating. Because of the different architectures, they are not directly comparable, but are the best comparison points of reference against which to judge this full 'PC functionality' tablet, and Ultrabooks are also a good point of reference against which to compare such a design.

The Samsung Series 7 Slate 700T1A-A01 features a total of 1568 components (this includes sub-components of the Wifi/Combo card and the SSD (which can, depending on an OEM's perspective, be counted as a single item). This count includes box contents - everything basically. A few comparable ARM tablet points of reference include the iPad 2 (at 1239 components - this included a 3G module and all of its subcomponents), the Kindle Fire (555 components), and the HTC Flyer (also with a hybrid touchscreen and digitizer that comes in at 1537 components). It's interesting to note that despite a somewhat PC-like architecture, and modular interfaces in the Asus B121, the component count is only slightly higher than the HTC flyer, but that HTC Flyer design also included a 3G module. In that sense by backing out the 3G module - the Samsung Series 7 count is about 20% higher in component count than the most comparable tablet in our teardown portfolio.

As far as ultrabook comparability goes - the MacBook Air (MC503LL/A) had a total component count of 1847. Ultrabooks are inherently more complex than tablets (even if they have the same electronics) due to the complexities of the enclosures.

Finally - as a direct point of comparison this Samsung Series 7 Slate is almost identical in terms of part count to the comparable ASUS Eee Slate B121-A1 (with a total count of 1595 components) analyzed concurrently with this Samsung slate.

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.

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

This Samsung Series 7 Slate 700T1A-A01 features Intel i5-2467M 1.60GHz core processor (supported by Intel's HM65 express chipset (platform controller hub)), a Samsung 64GB mSATA SSD, an 11.6 inch diagonal display module (1366x768 resolution) with capacitive touchscreen, as well as a Wacom digitzer built in (mounted under the screen) for 'stylus' usage.

Other features of the Samsung Series 7 Slate 700T1A-A01 include 4GB of DDR3 DRAM, a 5520 mAh Li-Ion polymer battery, an Intel based WiFi/BT combo module (half-mini PCIe module), and two webcam modules - one 3MP Full HD and the other a 2MP full HD.

Here is a summary of the major components used in the Samsung Series 7 Slate 700T1A-A01design:

Motherboard

CPU

Intel - AV8062701047504 - CPU - Intel Core i5-2467M Processor, 3MB Cache, 1.60 GHz, Integrated Graphics & Memory Controller, 32nm

Chipset

Intel - BD82HM65SLJ4P - Platform Controller Hub - HM65 Express Chipset, 3.9W

Memory

(8x) Elpida - EDJ4208BASE-DJ-F - SDRAM - DDR3-1333, 4Gb, Pb Free, Halogen Free

I/O & Interface

ST Microelectronics - LSM303DLH - Accelerometer / Magnetomer - 3-Axis, 16-Bit Digital Output

SMSC - MEC1310-NU - Embedded Controller - 8-Bit 8051 Core, Programmable

Realtek - ALC269Q-GR - Audio Codec - High Definition, w/ 2+2 Channel DAC, 4-Channel ADC & Class D Speaker Amplifier

Parade Technologies - PS8122 - HDMI/DVI Demultiplexer - 1:2

SMSC - EMC2112 - Fan Controller - RPM-Based, w/ Hardware Thermal Shutdown

Display / Touchscreen/Digitizer

Mfg Unknown (Samsung Likely Supplier) - LTL116AL02-801 - Display Module - 11.6' 1366x768 Pixels, LED Backlight, w/ Built-in Wacom Digitizer & Controller

Touchscreen / Display Window - 11.6' Diagonal, Gorilla Glass Over ITO Film, Capacitive, w/ Atmel mXT1386-U & 3x Atmel mXT154 Controllers, Integrated Flex PCB

Wacom - Touch Digitizer - Contains Wacom W8008 & BEF35GWA2 Controller ICs

SSD

Samsung Semiconductor - MZMPA064HMDR - SSD Mini PCIe Module - 64GB, mSATA

Battery Pack

• Samsung SDI - AA-PBZN4N - Battery Pack - Li-Ion Polymer, 4-Cell, 7.4V, 5520mAh, w/ Power Management Circuit, Integrated 9 Discrete Wires, 1 9-Position Pin Socket Connector, Black Mylar Insulators & White Mylar Label

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Samsung Series 7 Slate 700T1A-A01 Tablet PC - Box Contents