The iPhone’s biggest rival may have one advantage in Trump’s tariff war

There’s a key difference between an iPhone and Samsung Galaxy phone that may matter now more than ever: One was likely assembled in China, while the other was probably produced in Vietnam, India or South Korea.

There’s a key difference between an iPhone and Samsung Galaxy phone that may matter now more than ever: One was likely assembled in China, while the other was probably produced in Vietnam, India or South Korea. Samsung, unlike Apple, doesn’t rely heavily on China for smartphone production, a detail that’s become increasingly relevant as the United States and China have been engaged in a tit-for-tat trade war that’s resulted in tariffs on Chinese imports of at least 145% with some exceptions. While Apple has shifted some production to other regions like India, April estimates from Wedbush Securities indicate 90% of iPhone production is still in China. Smartphones and select other tech devices and parts fall under Trump’s exceptions to reciprocal tariffs, which was viewed as a reprieve for Apple and other phone makers. But the administration also promises that a different bucket of tariffs targeted specifically at semiconductors – the components that power electronics – are coming soon. Samsung, the world’s largest smartphone maker by market share by some analyst estimates, certainly isn’t immune from tariffs or the economic impact they may bring. But it also doesn’t depend on a country that’s been the biggest target of Trump’s tariff offensive to produce its smartphones, meaning it may not have to upend its mobile device operations in a major way, should tariffs on smartphones from China send prices skyrocketing. “The advantage is, yes, that they’re not facing the whatever crazy number we are currently dealing with,” said Gerrit Schneemann, a senior analyst for Counterpoint Research covering the smartphone industry. But that doesn’t mean that Samsung will gain an immediate advantage, Schneemann added.