IHS: iPhone 5s component tally reaches $199, iPhone 5c costs $173
Though it has a new camera module, faster processor and fingerprint sensor, the components in the new iPhone 5s are only slightly less expensive than those in the iPhone 5, says IHS. Not surprisingly, the iPhone 5c is cheaper than either the iPhone 5 or the iPhone 5s.
According to AllThingsD, which got an advanced look at the IHS report, the iPhone 5s costs US$199 to build, as compared to $205 for last year's iPhone 5. Components for the 16 GB iPhone 5s cost Apple $191, with another $8 tacked on for assembly. The jump to 64 GB of storage in the 5s bumps up the price by $11, bringing the final cost to $218 for the model.
By using a colorful polycarbonate shell instead of aluminum, Apple is able to trim the cost of the iPhone 5c to $173 for the 16 GB model and $183 for the 64 GB model. These prices include $7 for assembly.
Echoing what was said by iFixit, IHS says the new iPhone models are very similar. "I would say that they're almost the same phone, except that the 5s has the fingerprint sensor, the A7 processor and some newer memory chips that consume less power. Beyond that, they're basically the same," said IHS analyst Andrew Rassweiler.
