Apple raised iPhones shipments by 10% in the first quarter of this year in an attempt to accelerate deliveries and avoid the effects of imposed products on products from China, according to IDC consultancy data.
Between January and March, the company sent 57.9 million units, above 52.6 million registered in the same period last year. The increase, however, does not necessarily reflect a high demand: according to IDC, growth was driven by an anticipation effort to escape export tariffs from China to the US.
Apple and other technology companies had been preparing for months for new Trump government tariffs, reinforcing their stocks in the United States, as Bloomberg had already reported. “This increase in the side of the offer, aimed at mitigating the impact of costs and possible interruptions, inflated the departure data of the 1st quarter above what would be expected based on real demand,” said IDC.
Devices that are already in US territory before the tariffs are exempt from charges. The shipments also increased in other regions, given the fear of high prices and shortages. Trump rates announced for products from China could reach 145%, but were reduced on Friday after an exemption applied to electronics.
This truce, however, can be temporary. Trump has already indicated that new rates, specifically focused on semiconductor products, will be implemented – although with lower rates than the initial 145%, which would reduce the risk of consumer significant increases.
Despite the global discharge, the shipments in China fell, according to IDC, due to the exclusion of the iPhone Pro models from the Chinese government subsidies program. Apple should detail its second quarter results on May 1, which will bring a clearer view of effective sales in the period.
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In the rest of the smartphone industry, the performance was practically stable. The second largest advance was from Xiaomi, with a 2.5%increase. OPPO registered the largest drop, with a retreat of about 7%. In total, the market grew 1.5%to 305 million units. Samsung led with about 61 million devices and 20% stake, followed by Apple with 19%.
For fear of new increases, consumers ran to stores this month to secure their iPhones. In addition to the anticipation of shipments, Apple has been betting on production diversification to reduce exposure to tariffs: its factory in India, which now accounts for 20% of global production, could meet part of US demand with a lower rate.
©2025 Bloomberg L.P.
