Local smartphone production hits 13.86 million units in nine months

ISLAMABAD: During the first nine months of 2024 local mobile phone assembly and manufacturers in Pakistan produced 22.59 million units. Of these, 13.86 million were smartphones, while 8.73 million were basic 2G devices.

In addition to local production, 1.1 million mobile phones were imported commercially from January to September.

Brand-wise, Infinix led the mobile market, producing 2.79 million units during this period.
Despite the fact that production has been on a decline since 2022 owing to economic challenges and rising interest rates, which have strained the local industry.

In 2021, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) reported 24.66 million devices produced locally, but by 2023, this figure had dropped by around 13.71 per cent to 21.28 million.

Commercial imports of smartphones also saw a big decline, from 24.51 million in 2020 to just 1.58 million in 2023. This reduction is largely due to central bank-imposed restrictions aimed at controlling the trade deficit and reducing the outflow of foreign currency.

There are signs of recovery, though, with production picking up as the economy shows signs of improvement and the central bank cuts interest rates.

The spread of internet services increased the use of smartphones in Pakistan, with 64 per cent of devices on the network being smartphones, compared to 59 per cent in 2023 and 56 per cent in 2022.

Meanwhile, the share of 2G devices has dropped to 36 per cent, down from 41 per cent in 2023 and 44 per cent in 2022.

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