How many phones wouldn't cause me trouble with the Ethiopian Customs

For a simple personal trip, 1 used phone for your own use is the safest answer ; carrying more than that can invite questions, especially if the phones look new, identical, or clearly meant for resale. Ethiopia’s recent customs coverage also shows stricter scrutiny on duty-free privileges and valuation, while a newer NBE directive covers personal effects by value rather than giving a public “phone count” rule.

Practical read

• 1 phone: usually the least likely to cause trouble if it is clearly your personal device.
• 2 phones: often still manageable if one is a spare or work phone, but you should be ready to explain why you have both.
• 3 or more phones: much more likely to be treated as commercial or subject to extra questioning and duties.

What matters most

Customs officers usually care less about the exact number and more about:

• Whether the phones are new or sealed.
• Whether they look like commercial stock.
• Whether you can show they are personal items.
• The total value of what you are bringing in, since Ethiopia has recently emphasized value-based customs treatment for imports.

Safer approach

If you want to avoid trouble:

• Carry only the phone you actively use.
• Keep the original box at home unless needed.
• Delete any resale-looking packaging or multiple accessories.
• Be ready to declare the devices honestly if asked.

Important note

I could not verify a current, official Ethiopian rule that gives a fixed “X phones per traveler” exemption in the sources available here. The most defensible answer from the available information is that one personal phone is safest, two is usually explainable, and anything beyond that raises risk.

TL;DR: bring one phone if you want the lowest-risk option; two is usually fine only if both are clearly personal, and three or more can trigger customs issues.