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Smartphone shipments have been ballooning ahead of tariffs ruining everything
Smartphone makers ramped up shipments as tariffs loom.
Credit: Robert Triggs / Android Authority
- 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.
