Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on June 4, 2025
1 min readLast updated: January 23, 2026
Counterpoint Research cuts 2025 smartphone shipment growth forecast to 1.9% due to U.S. tariff uncertainties, affecting Apple and Samsung.
(Reuters) -Research firm Counterpoint cut growth expectations for global smartphone shipments in 2025 to 1.9% on Wednesday, down from its earlier forecast of 4.2%, citing uncertainties surrounding U.S. tariffs.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced a series of tariffs on April 2, prompting companies such as Apple to adjust supply chains. However, the U.S. suspended the tariffs on smartphones and other electronic devices as part of a broader 90-day pause.
The downgrade signals challenges for manufacturers that already face weakening sales amid heightened geopolitical tensions and escalating tariff disputes.
The research firm also revised year-on-year shipment growth from China down to near-flat, while Apple and Samsung's shipments are expected to slow as cost increases are passed on to consumers.
Apple sells more than 220 million iPhones a year worldwide, with a fifth of total iPhone imports to the United States now come from India, and the rest from China.
Last month, International Data Corp slashed its 2025 global smartphone shipment growth forecast from 2.3% to 0.6%, citing tariff-driven economic uncertainty and a pullback in consumer spending.
(Reporting by Kanjyik Ghosh in Bengaluru; Editing by Janane Venkatraman)
Counterpoint Research has cut its growth expectation for global smartphone shipments in 2025 to 1.9%, down from an earlier forecast of 4.2%.
The downgrade is attributed to uncertainties surrounding U.S. tariffs and the challenges manufacturers face amid geopolitical tensions and weakening sales.
U.S. tariffs announced by President Trump prompted companies like Apple to adjust their supply chains, although tariffs on smartphones were suspended.
Apple and Samsung are expected to see a slowdown in shipments as cost increases are passed on to consumers, with Apple selling over 220 million iPhones annually.
International Data Corp also revised its 2025 global smartphone shipment growth forecast down from 2.3% to 0.6%, citing similar tariff-driven economic uncertainties.
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