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Apple Explains How It's Trying to Keep iPhone Costs Down Amid Tariff Uncertainty

Trump's tariffs will cost Apple about $900 million in Q2, but Tim Cook says most iPhones sold in the US will come from India, meaning lower tariffs and, hopefully, no price hikes for you.

 & Michael Kan Principal Reporter

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Apple CEO Tim Cook warned investors that, assuming no new duties are added, the company expects Trump's tariffs to increase its costs by $900 million during Q2, ending in June. 

Apple has long relied on Chinese manufacturers to build the iPhone. Although Trump exempted smartphones from his extra 125% tariff on Chinese imports, the devices still face another 20% duty. But in some good news for consumers, Cook told CNBC that Apple is already sourcing over half of US iPhones from factories in India, a country that’s been spared from most of Trump’s reciprocal tariffs. Instead, iPhones shipped from India only face a 10% import fee. 

"For the June quarter, we do expect the majority of iPhones sold in the US will have India as their country of origin," Cook said in a Thursday earnings call. Most iPads, Macs, and Apple Watch devices sold in the US will come from Vietnam. “China would continue to be the country of origin for the vast majority of total product sales outside the US,” Cook adds. 

Nevertheless, Apple estimates it’ll pay $900 million in import fees in the June quarter since it still sources some inventory from Chinese manufacturers. Cook noted that Trump’s cumulative 145% tariff for other Chinese imports can hit some Apple accessories and repair components made in the country. 

Although the $900 million estimate is a lot of money, Apple raked in $95.4 billion in revenue during Q1. Still, Cook noted that the Trump administration is weighing imposing additional duties on Chinese-assembled phones and computers as part of its tariffs focused on semiconductors. 

For now, Cook said he had nothing to share about potential price increases. He added that Apple faced “limited impact” from the tariffs at the end of Q1 in March since the company was able to “optimize” its supply chain, a sign that the company rerouted more orders from India. 

About Our Expert

Michael Kan

Michael Kan

Principal Reporter

My Experience

I've been a journalist for over 15 years. I got my start as a schools and cities reporter in Kansas City and joined PCMag in 2017, where I cover satellite internet services, cybersecurity, PC hardware, and more. I'm currently based in San Francisco, but previously spent over five years in China, covering the country's technology sector.

Since 2020, I've covered the launch and explosive growth of SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet service, writing 600+ stories on availability and feature launches, but also the regulatory battles over the expansion of satellite constellations, fights with rival providers like AST SpaceMobile and Amazon, and the effort to expand into satellite-based mobile service. I've combed through FCC filings for the latest news and driven to remote corners of California to test Starlink's cellular service.

I also cover cyber threats, from ransomware gangs to the emergence of AI-based malware. In 2024 and 2025, the FTC forced Avast to pay consumers $16.5 million for secretly harvesting and selling their personal information to third-party clients, as revealed in my joint investigation with Motherboard.

I also cover the PC graphics card market. Pandemic-era shortages led me to camp out in front of a Best Buy to get an RTX 3000. I'm now following how the AI-driven memory shortage is impacting the entire consumer electronics market. I'm always eager to learn more, so please jump in the comments with feedback and send me tips.

The Best Tech I've Had:

  • My first video game console: a Nintendo Famicom
  • I loved my Sega Saturn despite PlayStation's popularity.
  • The iPod Video I received as a gift in college
  • Xbox 360 FTW
  • The Galaxy Nexus was the first smartphone I was proud to own.
  • The PC desktop I built in 2013, which still works to this day.

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