July 30, 2025 – India has steadily emerged as the top supplier of smartphones to the United States, as Apple accelerates the shift of its iPhone assembly operations to the South Asian nation.
Data from research firm Canalys reveals that for the second quarter ending in June, India captured a 44% share of U.S. smartphone imports, surpassing Vietnam—home to Samsung Electronics’ main manufacturing hub—which came in second with 30%. China ranked third during the same period.
Canalys analysts attribute this major shift to Apple’s aggressive expansion of production capacity in India, coupled with smartphone makers stockpiling inventory ahead of potential tariff hikes. Shipments of India-made devices to the U.S. more than tripled year-on-year in the past quarter. At the same time, Apple’s iPhone shipments to the American market declined by 11%, disrupting its usual delivery schedule due to heavy pre-quarter stockpiling.
“Apple rapidly built up inventory by the end of Q1 and aimed to sustain those levels in Q2. Despite manufacturers ramping up stockpiles, overall market growth remained sluggish at just 1%, signaling weak demand amid mounting economic headwinds,” explained Runar Bjorhovde, Senior Analyst at Canalys.
Both Apple and its rivals have been diversifying production away from China, relocating more manufacturing to countries like India and Vietnam to mitigate risks tied to tariffs and geopolitical tensions. This strategic move has drawn criticism from former U.S. President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly called on companies to boost domestic manufacturing.
While China continues to produce the majority of iPhones, and Apple still lacks any smartphone assembly lines in the United States, the tech giant has pledged to create more U.S. jobs and invest $500 billion domestically over the next four years.
