TOKYO — What does it take to churn out the world’s most iconic smartphones? Cutting edge-technology, a global army of suppliers — and more money than it used to.
In roughly 10 years, the total cost of the components in an iPhone has risen from around 23% of its selling price to 36% or more. The price of cameras alone has shot up tenfold over that time.
To find out exactly where these parts –and the rising costs — come from, Nikkei and the Financial Times collaborated with teardown specialist Fomalhaut Techno Solutions to take apart Apple’s latest top-end smartphone, the iPhone 13 Pro Max. The results of the teardown reveal a company under pressure to stay ahead of its rivals, even if it means sacrificing some of its margins to do so.
Explore the full interactive graphic here.
