Pakistan’s mobile assembly industry produced 17.83 million mobile phones between January and July 2025, while commercial imports stood at just 1.03 million units, according to official data.
Out of the total production, 8.47 million were smartphones and 9.36 million were 2G devices. Among brands, Infinix led local production with 2.01 million units in the first seven months of the year.
Declining Production Trend
Despite the output, local production has been on a steady decline since 2022 amid economic challenges and high interest rates. In 2021, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) reported 24.66 million locally manufactured devices, which dropped to 21.28 million in 2023, reflecting a 13.71% decline over the period.
Imports Sharply Reduced
Commercial mobile phone imports have fallen even more drastically, from 24.51 million units in 2020 to just 1.58 million in 2023, largely due to import restrictions by the central bank aimed at controlling the current account deficit and foreign exchange outflows.
Shift Toward 2G Devices
A concerning trend is the fall in smartphone penetration. By 2025, only 48% of active devices on Pakistani networks are smartphones, down from 59% in 2023 and 56% in 2022. Conversely, the share of 2G devices has risen to 52% in 2025, up from 41% in 2023 and 44% in 2022.
The shift suggests affordability challenges are pushing more consumers toward basic 2G devices, despite the growing availability of internet services in the country.
