Following the tradition, Techinsights has completed the teardown of the iPhone XS Max A1921 model, with 256GB capacity. The teardown reveals new notched battery for the first time in an iPhone, Apple-designed power management IC for the iPhone XS Max. However, we now have the pricing of the components used on the iPhone XS Max.
Apple introduced the XS Max at a starting price of $1,099 for the basic version with 64GB storage, $1,249 for the variant with 256 GB. Techinsights claims that it costed $443 for Apple to build an iPhone XS MAX; nearly $50 more than last year’s iPhone X starting model. Looking at the breakdown, the new AMOLED retina display is the one that cost more at around $80.50. It is a known fact that the display is being manufactured by Samsung.
Furthermore, it costs $72.00 to Apple for Applications Processor/Modems; a 10% increase, $64.50 for the memory, $44.00 for the cameras, and $58.00 for the mechanical housing. The cost of the screen increased just 5% from the iPhone X. Going by the pricing chart, every component is costlier compared to iPhone X 2017, except for the assembly materials and the RF antenna.
Techinsights’s $443 pricing doesn’t include other manufacturing expenses like R&D, software, logistics, and marketing. While this chart may not be accurate since most of the component pricing is based on assumptions, it at least gives a picture.