Preliminary bill of materials on iPhone 5 estimated at $168
updated 11:27 pm EDT, Thu September 13, 2012
Final analysis due on September 21 following disassembly
Apple spends an estimated $167.50 to build each 16GB iPhone 5 it builds, according to a preliminary estimate by specialists at analyst firm Techinsights. While the full report is due on September 21 after a physical disassembly has taken place, the new phone's bill of materials places it a full $35 more per device than the iPhone 4S.
The largest jumps in single component costs are expected to be the processor, climbing $7 from $21 in the iPhone 4S to $28 for the iPhone 5, and the Qualcomm chipset with another increase of $7 to $25. The new display shows only a modest increase of $3 to $18 per unit.
Junior Member
Joined: 07-01-09
Cue the usual round of idiots claiming Apple is overcharging because the hardware costs less than the assembled final product (because the design, software, and support is all done for free by magical iPhone fairies, apparently).