[News] Samsung Reportedly Ramps Up Galaxy S25 Production to 3.3M Units in May Ahead of Tariffs

Amid ongoing U.S. tariff uncertainty, major tech firms are adjusting their production strategies. According to TheElec, Samsung plans to boost Galaxy S25 production by 800,000 units in May, which may be related to efforts to deliver finished products to the U.S. market ahead of tariffs, as the report indicates.

The report states that in the final week of April, Samsung informed its component suppliers that it plans to produce 16.2 million smartphones and tablets in May. Of that total, only about 400,000 units will be tablets, with the rest being smartphones. The Galaxy S25 series alone is expected to make up 3.3 million units—comprising 1.3 million of the standard model, 500,000 of the Plus model, and 1.5 million of the Ultra model, the report adds.

Back in April, Samsung notified its suppliers of plans to produce approximately 2.5 million units of the Galaxy S25 series. The report notes that the additional units scheduled for May are largely centered on the Ultra model.

Meanwhile, the report highlights that Samsung plans to scale back production in June following the May ramp-up. Originally set at 1.9 million units for the Galaxy S25 series, the June target has been revised down to 1.4 million units, the report notes.

Samsung Rethinks Supply Chain and Product Focus as Tariff Risks Mount

Samsung is taking steps to mitigate the impact of potential U.S. tariffs. According to Yonhap News, CFO Park Soon-cheol said the company’s Mobile Experience (MX) division will prioritize sales of flagship and edge devices to maintain profitability as chip-related tariffs threaten to raise costs.

Analysts cited by Korea Economic Daily note that Samsung may move part of its smartphone production to Brazil, where the tariff rate is comparatively low at 10%. Currently, the majority of Samsung’s smartphone manufacturing is concentrated in Vietnam and India, which face higher tariffs of 46% and 26%, respectively.

Meanwhile, Samsung’s Video Display (VD) and Digital Appliances (DA) divisions are reportedly preparing to expand their premium product lines and may relocate some production overseas to cushion the tariff impact, Yonhap adds.

Read more

• [News] Samsung Weighs Premium Sales and Production Shifts Amid Tariff Threats, Cautious on 2H Memory Demand
• [News] Samsung Drops Q2 Guidance Amid Tariff Woes, Reportedly Preps for NVIDIA’s Final HBM3E Test in June

(Photo credit: Samsung)