India beats China to become biggest smartphone supplier to US
What's the story
India has surpassed China as the largest supplier of smartphones to the United States, a new report from research firm Canalys has revealed. The change, which happened in Q2 2025, is largely due to Apple's aggressive expansion of iPhone production in India. The move comes amid ongoing trade tensions and tariff disputes between the US and China.
Market change
India's share skyrockets while China's plummets
India-assembled smartphones accounted for a whopping 44% of US imports in Q2 2025, up from just 13% a year ago. Meanwhile, China's share plummeted from 61% to just 25%. This marks a staggering 240% year-on-year increase in India-made smartphone shipments and highlights the changing dynamics of global supply chains.
Strategic shift
Apple's supply chain shift driving this change
Sanyam Chaurasia, the Principal Analyst at Canalys, said India's rise as the top manufacturing hub for US-bound smartphones is largely due to Apple's accelerated supply chain shift to India. The tech giant has been using the country as a key export base for iPhones, especially in 2025. However, while it has started assembling iPhone 16 Pro models here, it still relies on Chinese facilities for large-scale supplies of these premium devices to the US.