The shift in smartphone production isn’t simply a short-term reaction to tariffs—it’s a multiyear journey that’s been unfolding for nearly a decade. Leading tech manufacturers have been quietly reconfiguring their global footprints, expanding into India, Vietnam, and beyond—not to replace China, but to rebalance and build greater agility and resilience. This move comes with tradeoffs, including lower initial manufacturing efficiency and higher logistics costs. But in today’s environment of geopolitical uncertainty and operational shocks, flexibility is the new advantage.