Pakistan’s local mobile phone manufacturing and assembly recorded a decline during June 2026 as handset imports increased significantly, highlighting changing market dynamics within the country’s smartphone industry. According to the latest figures released by Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), local manufacturers assembled 1.93 million mobile phones during June 2026, compared with 2.19 million units produced during the same month last year. The figures represent a 12 percent year on year decline and a 4 percent decrease compared with May 2026, indicating a slowdown in domestic handset production despite continued demand for mobile devices across the country.
In contrast to the decline in local manufacturing, mobile phone imports increased sharply during the month. Pakistan imported approximately 0.64 million mobile phones in June 2026, compared with only 0.10 million units imported during June 2025, representing a year on year increase of 540 percent. Imports also doubled compared with the previous month. Market analysts attributed the sharp increase to higher purchasing activity before the announcement of the federal budget as well as the launch of AIRLINK’s Apple mono store, which contributed to stronger demand for imported smartphones. The increase in imports reflects continued consumer interest in premium and internationally manufactured devices alongside locally assembled handsets.
Despite the weaker monthly performance, Pakistan’s mobile manufacturing sector assembled a total of 13.10 million mobile phones during the first six months of calendar year 2026. However, this remained 8 percent lower than the 14.24 million units assembled during the corresponding period in 2025. Overall handset availability, including both locally assembled and imported devices, reached 2.57 million units during June 2026, representing a 12 percent increase compared with the same month last year and an 11 percent increase over May 2026. Total handset supply during the first half of 2026 also increased by 4 percent to 15.65 million units, indicating that overall consumer demand for mobile devices remained strong despite lower domestic production.
The growing volume of imports reduced the market share of locally assembled phones during June. According to PTA data, locally assembled devices accounted for 75 percent of total handset demand during the month, down from 86 percent recorded in May. Nevertheless, locally manufactured phones continued to dominate the market during the first half of 2026, representing approximately 85 percent of total handset demand over the six month period. The latest figures indicate that while Pakistan’s mobile phone market continues to expand, imported devices are gradually regaining market share, presenting new challenges for the country’s domestic manufacturing ecosystem. Maintaining the competitiveness of local assembly while meeting rising consumer demand for premium smartphones will remain an important objective for industry stakeholders and policymakers supporting Pakistan’s mobile manufacturing sector.
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