For all the Chinese workers committing suicide over the conditions in the factories that manufacture Apple products, you would have to think the price to Apple would be pretty low. And you would be right. According to iSuppli, Steve & Co. shell out $187.51 for each of the shiny new 16GB phones, which retail for $599 apiece without contract.
The full report from iSuppli lists a full report on the cost of each individual component. The most single part shoehorned into the pocket-sized package? The 3.5-inch “Retina” display, which costs Apple $28.50.
The build cost for each iPhone has been gradually creeping up with each new generation, with the exception of the first model. According to iSuppli, the first-gen phone cost $217.73 back in 2007, clearing the way for the 3G to run for $166.31 in 2008, and the 3G S for $170.80 in 2009.
While Apple has taken considerable flak for its seemingly outrageous profit margins in the past, the Cupertino company’s take doesn’t actually deviate that far from its competitors. Back in January, for instance, iSuppli found that the $529 Nexus One cost Google only $177.15 to make – a 67 percent profit margin, compared to Apple’s 69 percent profit margin.
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