Since the first iPhone was launched onto the market, the American consulting firm, IHS, has opened and studied Apple phones to estimate their cost. It is, however, clearly stated that the amount calculated does not include expenditure linked to development, software, communication and other similar elements. The study focuses solely on the price of components and assembly of the new telephones.
According to these criteria, the bottom of the range iPhone 5S (16GB) costs 199 dollars (around 147 Euros) to produce, including around 8 dollars for assembly. As a comparison, the iPhone 5 cost 197 dollars to produce when it was launched. Why has the cost risen? The components designed by its competitor, Samsung, and integrated into the latest versions of Apple terminals (Mac, iPad...). This concerns the A7 processor, named Cyclone in comparison to Swift. The latter, developed by ARM Holdings, is included in the 5 and 5C versions. So the high-end version with 64 GB of memory costs the American company 218 dollars (161 Euros), with a retail price of 899 Euros for European customers.
Borrowing components from its predecessor, the iPhone 5, the 5C aims to be the low-cost version of the 5S. With a coloured plastic case and a revised iPhone 5 processor, the production of the basic version costs Apple 166 dollars (around 122 Euros). In stores, however, don't expect to see cheap prices, as it will be sold from 599 Euros. Low-cost, yes, but it all depends how you look at it.
* Photos from the Apple e-shop: http://store.apple.com
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