• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechFortune 500

Here’s How Much the iPhone 7 Cost to Manufacture

By
Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger
Down Arrow Button Icon
September 20, 2016, 4:32 PM ET
Apple Holds Press Event To Introduce New iPhone
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - SEPTEMBER 07: An Apple iPhone 7 is seen during a launch event on September 7, 2016 in San Francisco, California. Apple Inc. unveiled the latest iterations of its smart phone, the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, the Apple Watch Series 2, as well as AirPods, the tech giant's first wireless headphones. (Photo by Stephen Lam/Getty Images)Stephen Lam — Getty Images

The iPhone 7 might not have a headphone jack, but it’s still more expensive to manufacture than the headphone-port-equipped iPhone 6s launched last year, according to new data.

The total bill of materials, or cost of the iPhone 7’s components, add up to $219.80, research firm IHS Markit said in a statement on Tuesday. The company estimated that actually building the iPhone 7 costs Apple $5, bringing its total manufacturing cost to $224.80. The price applies only to the 32GB iPhone 7 and is based on preliminary findings, suggesting IHS could change its estimate after it completes its final review.

At nearly $225, the 32GB iPhone 7 is relatively expensive, IHS says. In fact, the company noted in a statement in December that Apple’s iPhone 6s, which launched last year, cost Apple (AAPL) $36.89 less per unit, or $187.91, to produce.

“Total bill of material costs for the iPhone 7 are more in line with what we have seen in teardowns of recent flagship phones from Apple’s main competitor, Samsung, in that the costs are higher than in previous iPhone teardown analyses,” said Andrew Rassweiler, senior director of cost benchmarking services for IHS Markit, in a statement. “All other things being equal, Apple still makes more margin from hardware than Samsung, but materials costs are higher than in the past.”

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter

Still, don’t feel too bad for Apple: the iPhone 7 IHS evaluated costs $649, giving the company a profit of more than $424 on each unit it sells. IHS has yet to evaluate other iPhone 7 versions, including the larger iPhone 7 Plus, to determine how much Apple is making on the sale of those units.

Apple’s iPhone 7 hit store shelves on Friday and was announced at a press event earlier this month. The smartphone comes with a design that’s similar to its predecessor the iPhone 6s, but has a much-improved processor known as the A10, as well as new cameras. The iPhone 7 also comes with a new Home button and has eliminated the headphone jack. Its display delivers more brightness and better color accuracy than last year’s model.

Each new update brings new manufacturing challenges that can often boost the price of production for awhile. Over time, like other device makers, Apple’s costs slide as component and assembly prices come down. For Apple, that means increased profits as time goes on.

However, whether Apple is actually making as much as IHS says remains to be seen. IHS itself says that its findings are preliminary and could change when it completes its final review later this year. Its final review is complete when it evaluates each component in more detail.

That said, Apple has long shrugged off estimates. In an earnings call in April, CEO Tim Cook said he’s yet to see “one that’s even close to accurate.” His comments followed those made by then-CFO Peter Oppenheimer, who suggested in 2010 that third-party bill-of-material reports were inaccurate.

For more about the iPhone, watch:

Apple itself has never revealed its actual per-unit cost to build an iPhone.

About the Author
By Don Reisinger
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

leagh
CommentarySoftware
I’m a CEO who oversees $9.5 trillion in spend data. AI’s winners are already decided
By Leagh TurnerMarch 30, 2026
46 minutes ago
CryptoBlockchain
Ex-Blackstone staffers raise $25 million for startup Valinor, which aims to put private credit on the blockchain
By Ben WeissMarch 30, 2026
2 hours ago
Oliver Kharraz, CEO of Zocdoc, sits on a couch.
NewslettersTerm Sheet
AI is reshaping the doctor visit—just not how you think
By Lily Mae LazarusMarch 30, 2026
3 hours ago
EconomyMarkets
War against Iran to escalate as we approach six-week ‘TACO’ timetable, analysts say
By Jim EdwardsMarch 30, 2026
4 hours ago
NewslettersFortune Tech
The humbling of Big Tech’s ‘Magnificent Seven’
By Alexei OreskovicMarch 30, 2026
5 hours ago
AIDell Technologies
Dell’s CFO is using AI agents to run his finance team—and has helped the AI business go from $0 to $25 billion
By Sheryl EstradaMarch 30, 2026
6 hours ago

Most Popular

Europe
413,793 KitKat bars stolen: 'Whilst we appreciate the criminals’ exceptional taste, the fact remains that cargo theft is an escalating issue'
By Fortune EditorsMarch 28, 2026
2 days ago
Energy
Elon Musk warns the U.S. could soon be producing more chips than we can turn on. And China doesn’t have the same issue
By Fortune EditorsMarch 29, 2026
1 day ago
Energy
Saudi pipeline to bypass Hormuz hits 7 million barrel goal
By Fortune EditorsMarch 28, 2026
2 days ago
Energy
Russia was expecting a windfall from soaring oil prices, but relentless Ukrainian drone attacks are devastating nearly half its export capacity
By Fortune EditorsMarch 29, 2026
21 hours ago
Success
She left a Silicon Valley VC to solve a problem left untouched for 88 years. Now her bra brand is the fastest-growing at Nordstrom
By Fortune EditorsMarch 29, 2026
1 day ago
Personal Finance
Some cried. Others were speechless. How front-line workers walked away with checks averaging $240,000, nearly equal Wall Street bonuses, when KKR sold their company
By Fortune EditorsMarch 29, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.