The arrival of Apple's iPhone last week prompted a rush to discover the identity of companies that supplied the chips and other electronic components for the device.
The findings sent all but a few of the component makers' stocks higher yesterday, the first day of trading since the iPhone went on sale in the United States on Friday evening.
The parts makers stand to profit handsomely if the iPhone proves popular over time. Apple itself has set a target of selling 10 million units worldwide by 2008, gaining roughly a 1 per cent share of the cell phone market.
Among the beneficiaries were semiconductor heavyweights Intel, Broadcom, Texas Instruments, and Infineon Technologies, as well as lesser-known companies such as Skyworks Solutions and Linear Technology.
Some researchers said Apple's secrecy surrounding the iPhone's component suppliers is yet another example of the company's vaunted ability to keep their partners tightlipped even when facing a media frenzy and rampant speculation.
Much like the examinations of other much-hyped gadgets, the deconstruction of the iPhone was a mad dash to be the first to post online, with minute-by-minute updates on websites and the occasional howls of researchers who wound up destroying their iPhones.
Those that released detailed descriptions of the iPhone's innards included sites such as ThinkSecret.com and iFixit.com as well as research companies Portelligent and Semiconductor Insights. Several analysts also published the results of their own analysis.