The new iPhone 7 costs Apple more to build than any of the firm’s recent smartphones, according to a new teardown.
IHS Markit (via MacRumors) reckons the bill of materials used in the base 32GB iPhone 7, plus labour comes to $224.80 ($173).
That’s up $36.89 (£29) on last-year’s iPhone 6S, according to the same company. Dismissing the headphone jack, it seems, hasn’t saved Apple much cash.
Related: iPhone 7 review in progress
The report says the most expensive component remains the iPhone 7 display, which apparently costs Apple $43 (£33).
The Intel modem and related baseband chips are next at $39.90 (£30) and the new A10 Fusion rounds out the top three at an estimated $26.90 (£20).
You can see all of the results from the preliminary teardown on the Excel spreadsheet created by IHS Markit.
Remember, it’s important to treat these figures with a certain level of skepticism.
Apple CEO and former chief bean counter Tim Cook is on record as saying these estimates are never “anywhere close to being accurate.”
Video: iPhone 7 vs iPhone 7 Plus
Has the iPhone 7 snared you into an upgrade? Or left you waiting for the iPhone 8? Explain your decision in the comments below.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
