The Google Pixel 9 Pro costs much less to produce than the iPhone 16 Pro.

Google took a bold step this year by launching Pixel 9 series much earlier in the calendar, the move is widely seen as a direct attempt to compete head-to-head with Apple. iPhone 16 series. This bet appears to have paid off handsomely. Pixel 9 sales data painting a picture of success. New report from Nikkei now offers a fascinating look at the manufacturing costs of these two popular flagships, the Pixel 9 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro, each retailing for around $1,000. (h/t: 9to5Google)

The raw material cost for the Google Pixel 9 Pro is reported to be just over $400, or “bill of materials” (BOM) – the price of the parts that make up the device. The BOM represents the total cost of each physical part required to assemble the device and serves as a baseline indicator of manufacturing costs.

User @Jukanlosreve on X shared a further breakdown of the Pixel 9 Pro’s specs, and we see that the most expensive component is the Tensor G4 chipset, Google’s own silicon, which accounts for $80 of the total cost. Next up is the M14 display panel from Samsung, which costs $75. The camera components, the most important aspect of the Pixel’s renowned photography capabilities, cost $61.

Interestingly, the report states that the Pixel 9 Pro’s specification price is around 11% lower than the Pixel 8 Pro’s. However, it’s important to note that this comparison may not be entirely fair since the Pixel 9 Pro is technically a completely new model in the series. A more accurate comparison will be with the Pixel 9 Pro XL and Pixel 8 Pro, as the 9 Pro XL is the true successor to the Pixel 8 Pro.

Nikkei The report also includes information on the cost of the iPhone 16 Pro, which is estimated at $568, which is slightly more than the iPhone 15 Pro. For Apple, the M14 display is one of the most expensive components, costing $110, while the camera parts cost around $91.

Apple’s A18 Pro chip is reported to cost $135, which is a noticeable increase over Google’s spec and could be a direct reflection of the real-world performance gap between Tensor’s and Apple’s latest chips. For what it’s worth, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite, which best android phones in 2025, the price is reportedly even higher just under $200, which is will likely lead to higher phone prices.

It is very important to remember that the BOM cost is only a fraction of the total costs associated with bringing a smartphone to market. Other factors such as research and development, marketing, shipping and distribution also contribute significantly to the final retail price. However, the specification still serves as a valuable snapshot of each company’s strategy.