Apple Shift Turns India Into World's Top Maker of US Smartphones (bloomberg.com)
(Tuesday July 29, 2025 @11:25AM (msmash)
from the how-about-that dept.)
- Reference: 0178503830
- News link: https://apple.slashdot.org/story/25/07/29/1447214/apple-shift-turns-india-into-worlds-top-maker-of-us-smartphones
- Source link: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-07-29/most-phones-sold-in-us-are-now-made-in-india-as-apple-shifts
India has overtaken China to become [1]the top source of smartphones sold in the US , after Apple [2]shifted to assemble more of its iPhones in the South Asian country . From a report:
> In the quarter through June, India was the largest manufacturer of smartphones shipped to the US for the first time, accounting for 44% of the market, according to Canalys data. Vietnam, home to much of Samsung's production, came in second. China fell from having more than 60% of all estimated shipments a year ago to just 25%.
>
> The stark change comes as Apple ramped up its production in India and smartphone makers "frontload device inventories amid tariff concerns," Canalys researchers wrote. The volume of made-in-India devices more than tripled in the past quarter from a year earlier. Apple's iPhone shipments to the US declined by 11%, reflecting distortions to its usual pattern due to unusually high shipments to stockpile units earlier in the year.
[1] https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-07-29/most-phones-sold-in-us-are-now-made-in-india-as-apple-shifts
[2] https://apple.slashdot.org/story/25/05/01/235234/apple-says-most-of-its-devices-shipped-into-us-will-be-from-india-vietnam
> In the quarter through June, India was the largest manufacturer of smartphones shipped to the US for the first time, accounting for 44% of the market, according to Canalys data. Vietnam, home to much of Samsung's production, came in second. China fell from having more than 60% of all estimated shipments a year ago to just 25%.
>
> The stark change comes as Apple ramped up its production in India and smartphone makers "frontload device inventories amid tariff concerns," Canalys researchers wrote. The volume of made-in-India devices more than tripled in the past quarter from a year earlier. Apple's iPhone shipments to the US declined by 11%, reflecting distortions to its usual pattern due to unusually high shipments to stockpile units earlier in the year.
[1] https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-07-29/most-phones-sold-in-us-are-now-made-in-india-as-apple-shifts
[2] https://apple.slashdot.org/story/25/05/01/235234/apple-says-most-of-its-devices-shipped-into-us-will-be-from-india-vietnam
So low energy, so sad. (Score:2)
by Mr. Dollar Ton ( 5495648 )
Yuge success, great accomplishment.
But why not the US of A, but India?
Re: (Score:2)
by Valgrus Thunderaxe ( 8769977 )
Do you want to pay $2600 for an iPhone? Well, that's your answer.
Because it is cheaper than in China (Score:2)
by RUs1729 ( 10049396 )
And until it becomes more expensive than somewhere else.
Tariffs (Score:2)
Tariff one country into oblivion, observe industrialists move production to the next cheapest country, lather, rinse, repeat.
Re: (Score:1)
Apple people lecture others about ethics all the time. It must bother them they have to decide to get their phones from either communists or fascists.
What? (Score:2)
> Apple people lecture others about ethics all the time.
When and about what?
Re: (Score:2)
I like the iPhone because it's a pretty good piece of hardware. Yes they're expensive but Samsung sells even more expensive models. Resale value is also pretty good and you get many years of OS updates. Google has pledged 6 years of updates with the Pixel but we know how often they cancel projects.
It's a bit hypocritical for political leaders in the US to paint China as some sort of boogey man that's out to get everyone. China is primarily concerned about China.
Re: (Score:3)
I think this is a good outcome. We need to maintain a lowish-cost manufacturing partner and India is better than China.