Tag: 2G phones

  • Pakistan produces 11.15 million smartphones, 6.19 million 2G mobiles in first half of 2024

    Pakistan produces 11.15 million smartphones, 6.19 million 2G mobiles in first half of 2024

    During the first half of 2024 (January-June), Pakistan’s local mobile assembly and manufacturing sector produced a total of 17.34 million mobile phones. In contrast, commercial imports for the same period amounted to 0.84 million units.

    Breaking down the local production figures, 11.15 million of these devices were smartphones, while 6.19 million were 2G models.

    Notably, Infinix emerged as the leading manufacturer, producing 2.49 million units during the first half of the year. It was followed by TECNO and Itel, which manufactured 1.89 million and 1.83 million units respectively.

    The industry has faced challenges, with production figures showing a downward trend since 2022. Economic difficulties and rising interest rates have constrained local manufacturing.

    In 2021, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) reported a production of 24.66 million devices, but this dropped to 21.28 million in 2023, a decrease of approximately 13.71 per cent.

    Commercial imports have also seen a significant decline, falling from 24.51 million units in 2020 to just 1.58 million in 2023. This drop is largely attributed to import restrictions imposed by the central bank, aimed at narrowing the trade deficit and conserving foreign currency.

    Despite these challenges, the penetration of smartphones in Pakistan has increased, with the proportion of smartphone users on the national network rising to 61 per cent in 2024, up from 59 per cent in 2023 and 56 per cent in 2022.

    Conversely, the share of 2G devices has decreased to 39 per cent, down from 41 per cent in 2023 and 44 per cent in 2022.

    This evolving landscape reflects both the resilience and adaptability of the local mobile industry amidst economic fluctuations and regulatory changes.

  • Local manufacturing plants in Pakistan assemble 4.88 million mobile phones in first five months of 2023

    Local manufacturing plants in Pakistan assemble 4.88 million mobile phones in first five months of 2023

    According to official data, local manufacturing plants in Pakistan have successfully manufactured and assembled 4.88 million mobile handsets during the first five months (January-May) of 2023. This figure stands in stark contrast to the mere 0.41 million handsets that were commercially imported during the same period.

    For the month of May 2023, local manufacturing plants contributed 1.44 million mobile handsets, while commercial imports lagged behind at 0.11 million.

    However, it is worth noting that the local manufacturing industry experienced a decline in production during the calendar year 2022, manufacturing 21.94 million mobile handsets compared to the 24.66 million produced in 2021. This decline can be attributed to import issues caused by restrictions on the opening of letters of credit (LCs).

    Providing additional insight, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) disclosed that out of the 21.94 million mobile handsets assembled in 2022, only 1.53 million were commercially imported.

    Of the 4.88 million locally manufactured and assembled mobile handsets, 4 million were 2G phones, while 0.88 million were smartphones.

    Furthermore, the PTA data reveals that smartphones accounted for 56 per cent of the mobile devices used in Pakistan, while 44 per cent were 2G phones.

    Moving on to imports, Pakistan imported mobile phones valued at $516.488 million during the first 11 months (July-May) of the current fiscal year 2022-23, indicating a significant negative growth rate of 73.46 per cent compared to the $1.946 billion imported during the same period last year.

    In May 2023, the country experienced a remarkable 308 per cent month-on-month increase in mobile phone imports, reaching $43.201 million. This figure surpasses the $10.587 million worth of imports recorded in April 2023, as reported by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).

    When compared to May 2022, however, mobile phone imports in May 2023 exhibited a negative growth rate of 68.52 per cent, with the value dropping to $137.212 million.

    Taking a broader view of the telecom industry, overall imports into Pakistan amounted to $860.441 million during the July-May 2023 period. This marks a substantial negative growth rate of 66.87 per cent compared to the $2.597 billion recorded during the same period in the previous fiscal year.