Real Production Costs of Smartphones – With the variety of smartphones on the market, you can get an excellent device from well-known brands such as Apple, Samsung, LG, Sony, or OnePlus.
But, they always seek to make the most out of their dollars. We all would like to know if manufacturers are earning a significant amount of profit with their goods. We therefore look into the manufacturing costs of the top-selling smartphones available on the market. This could be a crucial factor in your buying decision.
The price of production is determined by the teardown of the device, study of specifications and data from the suppliers. The most expensive parts are usually the processors and memory, display as well as the camera module. We don’t consider other costs such as marketing distribution, research and development staff packaging, accessories or software, which means that manufacturers won’t make this much from their product.
Check out the smartphones that have information on the cost of production (Bill of materials, plus the cost of assembly) as well as the retail price when it launches, plus profit margin.
Smartphone |
Production Cost |
Prices for Retail |
Profit Margin |
Apple iPhone 13 Pro A2636 (256GB) | $570 | $1,099 | 48.1% |
Apple iPhone 12 Pro A2341 (256GB) | $548.50 | $1,099 | 50.1% |
Apple iPhone 12 Pro (128GB) | $406 | $999 | 59.36% |
Apple iPhone 12 (64GB) | $373 | $829 | 55.01% |
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max (512GB) | $490.50 | $1,449 | 66.15% |
Apple iPhone XS Max (256GB) | $443 | $1,249 | 64.53% |
Apple iPhone X (64GB) | $389.50 | $999 | 61.01% |
Apple iPhone 8 Plus (64GB) | $295.44 | $799 | 63.02% |
Apple iPhone 8 (64GB) | $254.87 | $699 | 63.54% |
Apple iPhone 7 Plus (32GB) | $277.66 | $769 | 63.9% |
Apple iPhone 7 (32GB) | $224.80 | $649 | 65.4% |
Apple iPhone 6S Plus (16GB) | $236 | $749 | 68.5% |
Apple iPhone 6S Plus (64GB) | $253 | $849 | 70.2% |
Apple iPhone 6S (16GB) | $211.50 | $649 | 67.4% |
Apple iPhone 6 Plus (16GB) | $215.60 | $749 | 71.2% |
Apple iPhone 6 Plus (128GB) | $263 | $949 | 72.4% |
Apple iPhone 6 (16GB) | $200.10 | $649 | 69.2% |
Apple iPhone 6 (128GB) | $247 | $849 | 70.9% |
Apple iPhone 5C (16GB) | $183 | $549 | 67% |
Apple iPhone 5S (16GB) | $199 | $649 | 69% |
Apple iPhone 5S (64GB) | $218 | $849 | 74% |
Apple iPhone 5 (16GB) | $207 | $649 | 68% |
Apple iPhone 4 (16GB) | $188 | $599 | 69% |
Apple iPhone 4S (16GB) | $188 | $599 | 69% |
Google Pixel XL (32GB) | $285.75 | $769 | 62.84% |
Samsung Galaxy Note 3 (32GB) | $232.50 | $699 | 69.6% |
Samsung Galaxy Note 8 | $369 | $950 | 61.2% |
Samsung Galaxy S3 (16GB) | $213 | $549 | 61% |
Samsung Galaxy S4 (16GB HSPA+) | $244 | $579 | 58% |
Samsung Galaxy S5 (32GB) | $256 | $569 | 55% |
Samsung Galaxy S6 (32GB) | $275.50 | $699.99 | 60.6% |
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge (64GB) | $290.45 | $799.99 | 63.7% |
Samsung Galaxy S7 (32GB) | $255 | $599 | 57.4% |
Samsung Galaxy S8 (64GB) | $307.50 | $720 | 57.3% |
Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus | $343 | $850 | 59.6% |
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus (64GB) | $379 | $839 | 54.8% |
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus (128GB) | $420 | $999 | 57.9% |
Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra (256GB storage, 12GB RAM) | $528.50 | $1,350 | 60.9% |
Samsung Galaxy S21+ SM-G996BDS (256GB) | $508 | $1,049.99 | 51.6% |
The prices we have listed above are the actual price at the time of launch. Most of the prices could have been changed within a few months, and even weeks. We do not offer subsidized rates from carriers as you’ll are required to pay more in the duration of the contract. Thus, ensure that you verify the price prior to buying.