Smartphone Shipments Have Been Ballooning Ahead Of Tariffs Ruining Everything
Robert Triggs / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Smartphone shipments surged by 30% YoY in March as manufacturers raced to avoid tariff costs.
- Shipment contribution from India grew by 10%, while it fell by 4% in China compared to 2024.
- India could become the primary provider of Apple’s phones if the tariff situation doesn’t clear up before the launch of the iPhone 17.
- Samsung isn’t as reliant on China for production, but it still may not be able to escape tariffs.
Ever since the Trump administration announced its tariff plans, smartphone brands have been making preparations to protect themselves from the costs. This has resulted in companies scrambling to stockpile inventory and relocate the production of US-bound phones to countries facing lower tariff rates. A new study now shows how much the tariff situation is impacting the industry.
According to data from Counterpoint, smartphone shipments skyrocketed by 30% year over year (YoY) in March. The study attributes the sudden surge in shipments to OEMs across the board that are racing to avoid tariff costs. On top of that, the study found that US inventories jumped up to 51% YoY in March.
The country of origin for smartphone shipments also saw a notable shift. China, which is facing the heaviest of tariffs, saw its shipment contribution decline in March by 4% YoY compared to 2024. India, on the other hand, experienced a 10% uptick during the same period compared to last year. Overall, India accounted for 26% of Q1 2025 shipments to the US.
The study mentions that Motorola nearly tripled its volume of shipments from India in March YoY. Samsung also appears to have increased its reliance on India. Meanwhile, Apple grew its sell-in by 42% YoY in March as it rushed to stockpile units in the US. Senior Research Analyst Gerrit Schneemann says Apple has enough inventory to keep it safe until around the end of summer:
The increase in shipments in March and early April will help insulate Apple from potential immediate pricing impacts in the US through mid-to-late summer. Should the tariff situation remain unresolved with China by the time the iPhone 17 ships, we expect India to become the primary provider for US-bound iPhone 17 devices.
This comes as President Trump says he spoke with Apple CEO Tim Cook, telling Cook that “We’re not interested in you building in India.”
Tariff concerns aren’t as big a problem for Samsung as they are for Apple, as it doesn’t rely on China as heavily. However, Samsung may not be able to evade tariffs completely as it does rely on Vietnam, which could face 46% reciprocal tariffs. On the positive side, Vietnam and the US are in ongoing talks, giving Samsung hope for a potential beneficial trade deal.
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