It is not really a fair comparison between an iPhone and the Librem because the Librem is catering for a completely different market.
The phone itself is quite different in some respect to other mobile phones e.g. parts of the phone that would be on the SoC are on removable M.2 cards. It is a niche product, meant for a particular audience. You are going to be paying a premium even if it was manufactured in offshore.
I pay a premium on any add-on/upgrade card to my Amiga. These products are made in smaller batches and thus cost a lot more than simply getting an ARM chip and emulating it. I accept that because my use case is extremely niche.
The phone itself is quite different in some respect to other mobile phones e.g. parts of the phone that would be on the SoC are on removable M.2 cards. It is a niche product, meant for a particular audience. You are going to be paying a premium even if it was manufactured in offshore.
I pay a premium on any add-on/upgrade card to my Amiga. These products are made in smaller batches and thus cost a lot more than simply getting an ARM chip and emulating it. I accept that because my use case is extremely niche.