The latest 3G Apple iPhone Australia is destined to be more profitable than the previous iPhone, despite it being half the price.

With much lower component costs, the profit margins are expected to exceed 50%, which is higher even than Apple’s most popular gadget – the iPod.

Research firm iSuppli Corp. performed a ‘virtual teardown’ to create estimates of iPhone content, suppliers and costs. This research doesn’t include the costs of software development, shipping, distribution and packaging.

Principal analyst for iSuppli, Dr. Jagdish Rebello said -

‘The new iPhone is significantly less expensive to produce than the first-generation product, despite major improvements in the product’s functionality and unique usability, due to the addition of 3G communications’

The hugely anticipated 3G Apple iPhone is released in Australia, and 11 other countries worldwide, on July 11th 2008.

You can pre register your interest in the iPhone here.

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> > click here to shop online with Apple New Zealand