Olimex, who are in a position to know, says that the BOM for this adds up to more than $20.
https://olimex.wordpress.com/2015/06/05/how-to-get-in-the-ne...
So, it's basically a marketing ploy, which is still cool, but they will have to find some way to make up the difference post launch.
If their strategy is to sell accessories then they $9 could be subsidized in that way.
If you're like me, the $9 gets you in the door, then you load up your cart with everything you want and start thinking about the total price at around $100.
Under $100 I think the typical "has a day job at a startup" technologist is not going to think twice.
They just need to have enough compelling components to get the total order amounts up there.
This may be true, but then you should make sure they buy them at your store. I've bought a Raspberry Pi, but case and sd-card were from a different brand. They didn't even have an official case back then. So how does this work? Or do they get a commission for every case? I bet not.
Yes, but needs to be managed well.
It seems clear the actual cost per unit, even with significant volume, will be substantially higher than $9.
$5, for just the Allwinner chip, without the onboard memory and storage, IS competitive. Since they are using the SOM version with ram+storage, I wouldn't be terribly surprised that just the main chip would be more than $9.
Nobody wants CHIP, they want the "$9 computer". I can't see how they can ever sell it for $39.
As a loss leader, with overpriced accessories - that makes much more sense to me.