India beats China as top smartphone supplier to the US, thanks to Apple's big iPhone shift
Other brands like Samsung and Motorola have also started sending more India-made phones to the US, but their contribution to this shift is smaller in scale compared to Apple's. Samsung, for instance, still relies heavily on Vietnam for most of its production. Motorola's supply chain is also largely rooted in China, though it has increased output from Indian facilities in recent months.The bigger picture here is that US smartphone makers are clearly looking to diversify where they get their phones assembled. Canalys analysts say that concerns over tariffs and unpredictable trade rules have forced vendors to front-load inventory (acquiring a large amount of inventory earlier than usual or in advance of anticipated needs) and quickly adjust their sourcing plans. India's growing role as a manufacturing base for global smartphone brands means it's becoming a major player in this space, and not just for low-cost phones, but for high-end devices as well.Despite this dramatic supply chain shift, the US smartphone market itself only grew by only 1 per cent in Q2 2025. iPhone shipments fell 11 per cent year-on-year, while Samsung's shipments grew 38 per cent. Motorola also saw a modest 2 per cent bump, with Google and TCL rounding out the top five brands.- Ends
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