iPhones has often drawn criticism for being very expensive or unaffordable. A recent analysis by TechInsights breaks down the price for each component of the iPhone 11 Pro Max and does a tally of the same.

The 6.5-inch display on the iPhone 11 Pro costs roughly $66.50. Meanwhile, the battery procured from Samsung costs around $10.50. Apple has been touting the triple rear camera setup on iPhone 11 Pro Max and this costs $73.50 for Apple. Other major costs include a processor, modem and storage which come up to $159. That apart the PCB’s, wiring and other minor things cost another $181.

This means it costs Apple $490.50 to make iPhone 11 Pro Max, however, the device is currently sold for more than $1000. If you feel that Apple is charging double the money and making profits, think again. The $490 doesn’t include money required by the company to market the iPhone. Moreover, they spend considerably on R&D and employee salaries. Taking into account all the factors we are pretty sure that the iPhone 11 Pro Max costs more than $490.50 to make.

The infographics above show parts breakdown for iPhone 11 Pro Max. It is also worth noting that the research firm adds a disclaimer that reads “all cost estimates provided here are compiled using the information available to us at the time of the initial teardown. Some assumptions have been made where concrete data is not yet available.”

Our Take

Teardowns are a great way to understand how a device is built and the exact hardware specifications. Typically we wait for iFixit teardown to know iPhone specifications every year. This is because Apple keeps some specifications under the wrap during launch events. Furthermore, we also get to know details about new features like the U1 chip.