The iPhone 7 could be Apple’s costliest smartphone build yet

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.