Local mobile phone manufacturers and assemblers in Pakistan produced 2.61 million units during December 2025, reflecting a year on year decline of 12 percent compared to 2.95 million units recorded in December 2024. The monthly slowdown mirrored a broader annual trend, as cumulative local manufacturing and assembly reached 30.21 million units in calendar year 2025, marking a 4 percent decline compared to the previous year. Despite the contraction in output, the local handset ecosystem continued to play a dominant role in meeting domestic demand, reinforcing its importance within Pakistan’s telecom and consumer electronics landscape.
According to data shared by Topline Securities, the reduction in overall manufacturing volumes was largely driven by subdued consumer demand. Analysts attributed this softness to extended mobile phone replacement cycles, which have increased globally to around 40 months. As consumers delay upgrades, especially in price sensitive markets, manufacturers have adjusted production accordingly. Of the total 30.21 million units assembled locally during 2025, smartphones accounted for 52 percent, translating to 15.64 million units, while the remaining 48 percent or 14.57 million units consisted of 2G feature phones. The continued relevance of 2G devices highlights ongoing demand from entry level users, particularly in rural and lower income segments, even as smartphone penetration gradually increases.
One of the most notable developments during 2025 was the extent to which Pakistan relied on domestic manufacturing to meet its mobile phone requirements. Local production fulfilled approximately 93 percent of national handset demand during the year, a substantial increase compared to the five year average of 77 percent between 2020 and 2024. The improvement becomes even more pronounced when viewed against the nine year average from 2016 to 2024, when local manufacturing met just 52 percent of demand. This shift underscores the progress made under Pakistan’s mobile device manufacturing policies, which have encouraged global and regional brands to establish assembly operations within the country, reducing reliance on imports and easing pressure on foreign exchange reserves.
Brand wise data for 2025 shows a competitive and diversified local assembly market. Infinix emerged as the leading locally assembled brand with production of 3.65 million units, closely followed by VGO Tel at 3.57 million units. Vivo secured third place with 2.80 million units, while Itel assembled 2.34 million units during the year. Samsung ranked fifth with 1.85 million units, narrowly ahead of Tecno at 1.84 million units. Xiaomi followed with 1.38 million units, while Q Mobile assembled 1.11 million units. Realme and OPPO rounded out the top ten, producing 1.06 million units and 1.01 million units respectively. The presence of both international and local brands in the top rankings reflects a balanced ecosystem that caters to multiple price tiers and consumer preferences.
Market analysts expect mobile phone sales to post moderate growth of around 7 to 8 percent year on year over the next twelve months, supported by relative stability in the PKR, easing inflationary pressures, and gradual improvement in consumer purchasing power. Within the listed corporate space, companies such as Airlink Communication and Lucky Cement are positioned to benefit from any recovery in demand, given their exposure to locally assembled brands including Tecno, Xiaomi, and Samsung, all of which remain among the top ten mobile phone brands in Pakistan by production volume.
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