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iPhone upgrade trend could be due to Trump tariffs in the US, report says
American buyers are reportedly upgrading to new iPhones faster, possibly due to fears of price hikes from Trump-imposed China tariffs.
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iPhone owners in the United States are upgrading to new models more than ever before. This was especially true when it comes to the users who traded in their older devices during the spring of 2025. Reportedly, this surge stems from growing concerns over rising iPhone prices after the imposition of tariffs on imports from China.
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iPhone Users Upgrading To New Models More Than Before
As spotted by AppleInsider, a report by Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP) indicates that 39% of US iPhone buyers in the first quarter of 2025 ended up upgrading their phones, with many of these devices being three years old.
Notably, this represents a 9% increase over the 30% observed during the same period in previous years.
The report suggests this could be a sign of anxiety among consumers regarding potential price hikes due to the Trump-imposed tariffs.
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Why Are These Concerns Arising?
It's largely due to the tariffs imposed by the Trump administration on Chinese imports. There's 145% tariffs on Chinese imports. This has led many US buyers to worry that iPhones, which are mostly manufactured in China, could become more expensive. The fear of long-term price hikes may have driven consumers to upgrade to new iPhones, even when their older models were still perfectly functional.
Apple, on the other hand, is working to diversify its production beyond China. Apple recently revealed that India is going to be the place of origin for iPhone models being sold in India.
In Apple's recent earnings call, CEO Tim Cook revealed that these tariffs could amount to approximately $900 million in additional costs for Apple if "current global tariff rates, policies, and applications do not change" during the April to June quarter.
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