iPhone 4 costs $188 in parts, 1.7 million units sold in 3 days

After tearing the iPhone 4 to bits, research outfit iSuppli estimates the handset's parts to cost about $188, or $187.51 to be precise. That figure is for the 16GB model and doesn't include costs associated with manufacturing, research and development, logistics or advertising. Unsurprisingly, the most expensive component in the new iPhone is its high-resolution "retina display," which runs about $28.50.

In all, the latest numbers are similar to what we've seen for previous iPhones, and iSuppli believes this is because Apple is targeting the same budget. The 3GS was estimated to cost $179 in materials, but considering features like the upgraded screen, the new A4 processor ($10.75), a gyroscope ($2.60) and other additions, the iPhone 4's extra $8.5 seems perfectly reasonable.

At retail, the iPhone 4 costs $199 (16GB) and $299 (32GB) when paired with a two-year data plan from AT&T, or $499 and $599 for unsubsidized units. Steve Jobs has called it the most successful product launch in Apple's history, with 1.7 million units shipped in three days. By comparison, the company sold 1 million 3GS' in the same timeframe.

Samsung Galaxy S to debut on all major U.S. carriers, Sprint's version gets WiMAX

Samsung is making sure you won't have to worry about switching wireless carriers to get your hands on its hot new Android handset, codenamed Galaxy S. The device is expected to debut on all major U.S. carriers sporting a high end feature set that includes a 4-inch AMOLED touch screen display, 1Ghz Cortex A8 Hummingbird processor, a 5-megapixel camera with LED flash and 720p video capture, 2GB of internal storage, Bluetooth, GPS and Wi-Fi.

Verizon's version will be called Samsung Fascinate. It will come with a 16GB microSD card included, 3G mobile hotspot functionality, and the carrier's usual slate of branded features such as VZ Navigator and V Cast Music. On T-Mobile's network the Galaxy S will be called Samsung Vibrant and includes a 2GB microSD card preloaded with the movie Avatar and The Sims 3. T-Mobile will start selling the Samsung Vibrant from July 21, for $199 with a two-year contract.

Over on AT&T the phone will be called Samsung Captivate, including 16GB of storage and various customized features such as AT&T Navigator and AT&T Address Book. Last but certainly not least, Sprint's version of the Galaxy S will pack a few extra surprises. Dubbed Epic 4G, the device will be able to hop on Sprint's WiMAX network for faster download speeds (where available), and adds a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, six-axis sensor as well as a front-facing camera.

The device will be Sprint's second WiMAX phone and is a great alternative to the HTC Evo 4G if you just can't get used to software based keypads. Common to all editions of Samsung's Galaxy S is version 2.1 of Google Android, with 2.2 "Froyo" upgrades expected to come at a later time.

Acer's Predator takes on high-end desktop gaming

While not meaning to take it to any extreme levels, Acer is updating its Predator desktop PC series aimed at gamers packing a lot of horsepower and the option to scale up graphics. For $2,000 you get a Core i7 930 processor, a 3-way SLI capable motherboard, 12GB of DDR3 RAM, a single GeForce GTX 470 graphics card, 1.5TB HDD and a radical chassis design with a mechanized front cover that hides a multi-card reader and various connectivity ports.

The way this system has been configured reminds me a bit of the Gateway FX gaming desktop we reviewed a couple of months back. The sheer amount of RAM is unnecessary, but nevertheless adds to the overall appeal for those easily mislead by spec figures. That's not to say the configuration is not well rounded though. The Predator cannot be configured to build, so the SLI capable motherboard is a worthwhile addition. Also the GeForce GTX 470 seems like the best choice to offer a multi-GPU upgrade option as we recently learned in our SLI vs. Crossfire shootout.

Like with the Gateway FX, Acer seems to be targeting the gamer that doesn't want to bother to build his own system, offering a good combination of components at an interesting price point. Unlike its exterior may lead you to believe, the Predator is not an extreme gaming PC, but it won't cost you like one either. Next time an SSD choice in place of that extra RAM could make for a nice option. The new Acer Predator is expected to become available from retailers immediately.