Elaine Jean Tech 10.06.2021 12:Oct PM EDT

How Much Did It Cost Apple To Build iPhone 13 Pro? It's Pricier Than iPhone 12 Pro!

A report published by TechInsights made a cost analysis and estimate and believes that the sub-6 GHz iPhone 13 Pro A2636 will have a higher build cost than the mmWave model of the iPhone 12 Pro A2341 of last year.

The iPhone 13 Pro's total cost has increased due to higher costs incurred for the A15 Bionic chipset processor, NAND memory, the display subsystem pricing, and Apple's increase in the primary enclosure cost. All of these impacted the total non-electronic cost. The persistent chipset shortage has undoubtedly contributed to higher component costs for the iPhones.

iPhone 13 Pro Price Comparison to iPhone 12

According to a cost analysis reported by GSMArena, a brand new iPhone 13 Pro with 256GB of storage costs exactly $570 to create. It is a 4% increase above the bill of materials for the 256GB iPhone 12 Pro, which is projected to be $548.

For comparison, a 256GB iPhone 13 Pro costs $1,099. This means that the bill of materials accounts for 52% of the phone's final cost, even when other costs such as R&D, marketing, and shipping are taken into account, as well as Apple's economies of scale.

The increased production costs are primarily due to the new A15 Bionic chipset, NAND flash memory, and display subsystem. The increased costs of procuring components for the new Apple iPhones are undoubtedly to blame for the current chipset shortage.

Although manufacturing costs for the iPhone 13 Pro have increased, Apple extensively pushes the new iPhone in the United States with aggressive carrier deals. Customers can simply secure a significant discount on their iPhone 13 or perhaps get it for free with the numerous deals and promotions from left to right.

iPhone's Image Sensory Upgrade

Furthermore, Tech Insights provided a detailed comparison of Apple's iPhone 13 Pro price to the iPhone 12 Pro through the camera components and image sensors used in both devices. As stated above, this newest upgrade is another reason for the price increase.In addition, the users seem to be gushing over this new feature.

Tech Insights stated that while other smartphone brands adopt higher resolutions for front and rear cameras, Apple has stuck to a 12 MP resolution for all image sensors. The iPhone 13 series is no exception. As stated during the Sept. 14 Apple presentation, the key change Apple made on the iPhone 13 series compared to the iPhone 12 models is using a wider pixel-pitch on the rear Wide cameras to boost low light sensitivity.

The iPhone 13 rear Wide camera pixel-pitch has been confirmed to be 1.7 µm up from 1.4 µm on the iPhone 12. Compared to the iPhone 12 model, this represents a 47% increase in the pixel area and active array size.

The rear Wide camera of the iPhone 13 Pro features a new CIS Die with a pixel-pitch of 1.9 µm up from 1.4 µm on the iPhone 12 Pro. It is an 84% increase in pixel pitch and active array area and the iPhone 13 series' highest predicted improvement in low light sensitivity.

With a Die area of just around 62 mm2, this new Wide cam Die is the largest Image Sensor in the iPhone 13 range, presumably used in the iPhone 13 Pro Max.

Nonetheless, the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max, released on Sept. 14 alongside the more inexpensive iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini, are Apple's newest high-end pro-level flagship iPhones.

For those who desire iPhones with the greatest features and the best cameras, the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max are excellent picks.