The iPhone 13 Pro costs Apple around $20 more to build compared to last year's iPhone 12 Pro, but despite the lower margin of revenue for the company, the iPhone 13 Pro still starts at the same $999 price point as last year's entry-level Pro iPhone.
TechInsights did a costs analysis breakdown of the new iPhone 13 Pro, finding that due to higher component costs related to the improved camera, A15 Bionic chip, ProMotion displays, and presumably the large battery, the newest iPhone costs $570 to build, while the iPhone 12 Pro cost merely $548. Compared to the Samsung Galaxy S21+, both iPhones are however significantly more expensive to build.
The increase in build costs from the iPhone 12 Pro to the iPhone 13 Pro is notable but not as pronounced as last year's increase from the iPhone 11. The iPhone 12 introduced 5G support, a new 5nm chip, and the return of flat edges. Those changes resulted in the iPhone 12 being 21% more expensive for Apple to build than the iPhone 11.
In the run-up to the launch of the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro last month, a report suggested that due to increased costs for chip production, Apple would increase the price of the iPhone 13 as a means of compensating. That did not occur, and Apple instead kept the same price points for the iPhone 13, on top of introducing more aggressive carrier subsidies. Another report suggested that Apple was looking at new ways to assemble the cameras in an iPhone to save costs.
Monday January 26, 2026 1:55 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple today introduced its first two physical products of 2026: a second-generation AirTag and the Black Unity Connection Braided Solo Loop for the Apple Watch.
Read our coverage of each announcement to learn more:Apple Unveils New AirTag With Longer Range, Louder Speaker, and More
Apple Introduces New Black Unity Apple Watch BandBoth the new AirTag and the Black Unity Connection Braided...
Monday January 26, 2026 3:56 pm PST by Juli Clover
Alongside iOS 26.2.1, Apple today released an updated version of iOS 12 for devices that are still running that operating system update, eight years after the software was first released.
iOS 12.5.8 is available for the iPhone 5s and the iPhone 6, meaning Apple is continuing to support these devices for 13 and 12 years after launch, respectively. The iPhone 5s came out in September 2013,...
Tuesday January 27, 2026 2:39 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
Update: Apple Creator Studio is now available.
Apple Creator Studio launches this Wednesday, January 28. The all-in-one subscription provides access to the Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, Pixelmator Pro, Motion, Compressor, and MainStage apps, with U.S. pricing set at $12.99 per month or $129 per year.
A subscription to Apple Creator Studio also unlocks "intelligent features" and "premium...
Thursday January 29, 2026 10:07 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple today confirmed to Reuters that it has acquired Q.ai, an Israeli startup that is working on artificial intelligence technology for audio.
Apple paid close to $2 billion for Q.ai, according to sources cited by the Financial Times. That would make this Apple's second-biggest acquisition ever, after it paid $3 billion for the popular headphone and audio brand Beats in 2014.
Q.ai has...
Monday January 26, 2026 6:07 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple today introduced the second-generation AirTag, with key features including longer range for tracking items and a louder speaker.
For those who are not familiar, the AirTag is a small accessory that you can attach to your backpack, keys, or other items. Then, you can track the location of those items in the Find My app on the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and iCloud.com.
The new...
Clearly the end-user price should go up by $20, since so many here have relentlessly insisted that Apple leaving out the charging brick means the end-user price has to come down by the price of the charging brick or else they’re getting ripped off. It works both ways, right?
