• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
Apple

Apple Could Be Making $800 on Each 256GB iPhone XS Max Sale

By
Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger
Down Arrow Button Icon
September 26, 2018, 10:43 AM ET

Apple should be able to generate an awfully nice profit on the sale of each iPhone, if a recent teardown is any indication.

The folks over at TechInsights recently tore apart the iPhone XS Max with 256GB of onboard storage to see what’s inside. It then sought pricing on each of the parts to create a total cost. After performing that evaluation, the company estimated that Apple pays $443 to build each 256GB iPhone XS Max. Apple sells that handset for $1,249, suggesting the company is making an $806 profit on the sale of each device.

Apple unveiled the iPhone XS Max alongside the iPhone XS at a press event earlier this month. The company released the handsets last week. The iPhone XS Max comes with the largest screen size ever in an iPhone, measuring 6.5 inches. The iPhone XS has a 5.8-inch screen. They both run on the A12 Bionic chip and come with improved cameras over last year’s iPhone X.

Of course, Apple making a hefty profit on the sale of each iPhone is no surprise. The company generates billions of dollars in profits each quarter.

For its part, Apple doesn’t discuss how much of a profit it makes on the sale of each handset. And Apple CEO Tim Cook has said in the past that these teardowns are inaccurate and don’t actually reflect Apple’s pricing. But they still serve as an approximation of iPhone components cost in the real world. And if nothing else, they highlight Apple’s unique ability to generate hefty profits on its products.

About the Author
By Don Reisinger
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.


Most Popular

placeholder alt text
C-Suite
OpenAI’s Sam Altman says his highly disciplined daily routine has ‘fallen to crap’—and now unwinds on weekends at a ranch with no cell phone service
By Jacqueline MunisFebruary 5, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Politics
Meet the Palm Beach billionaire who paid $2 million for a private White House visit with Trump
By Tristan BoveFebruary 3, 2026
3 days ago
placeholder alt text
Success
After decades in the music industry, Pharrell Williams admits he never stops working: ‘If you do what you love everyday, you’ll get paid for free'
By Emma BurleighFebruary 3, 2026
3 days ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
Trump is giving the U.S. economy a $65 billion tax-refund shot in the arm, mostly for higher-income people, BofA says
By Nick LichtenbergFebruary 5, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Investing
Ray Dalio warns the world is ‘on the brink’ of a capital war of weaponizing money—and gold is the best way for people to protect themselves
By Sasha RogelbergFebruary 4, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Travel & Leisure
How Japan replaced France as the country young Americans obsessively romanticize—they’re longing for civility they don’t see at home
By Nick LichtenbergFebruary 5, 2026
1 day ago

Latest in

PoliticsBarack Obama
Trump’s racist post about Obamas is deleted after bipartisan backlash. The White House initially defended it, then blamed a staffer
By Bill Barrow, Josh Boak and The Associated PressFebruary 6, 2026
11 minutes ago
CryptoBitcoin
What caused the massive Bitcoin crash? Clues point to a blow-up at Hong Kong hedge funds
By Jeff John RobertsFebruary 6, 2026
2 hours ago
InvestingDow Jones Industrial Average
Dow soars by 1,200 points to top 50,000 for the first time as chipmakers and airlines lead ferocious stock market rebound
By Stan Choe and The Associated PressFebruary 6, 2026
2 hours ago
CEO and co-founder of Anthropic Dario Amodei speaking on stage.
AIAnthropic
Anthropic’s newest model excels at finding security vulnerabilities—but raises fresh cybersecurity risks
By Beatrice NolanFebruary 6, 2026
4 hours ago
Personal FinanceCertificates of Deposit (CDs)
Best certificates of deposit (CDs) for February 2026
By Glen Luke FlanaganFebruary 6, 2026
4 hours ago
LawAmerican Politics
Minneapolis fourth grader says ICE fears leave his 30-person class with just 7 students: ‘The teachers cry’
By Bianca Vázquez Toness and The Associated PressFebruary 6, 2026
5 hours ago