Key points
- Local manufacturing saw a dramatic rise from a 9-year average of 52pc to 94pc
- Top assembled brands include Infinix, VGO Tel, Itel, and Vivo
- PTA resolved 97.92pc of over 10,000 telecom and internet complaints
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s mobile manufacturing sector is making waves in 2025, assembling 12.05 million mobile phone handsets in just the first five months of the year, fulfilling an impressive 94 per cent of the country’s total demand.
This marks a significant leap from previous years: between 2020 and 2024, local assembly met 77 per cent of demand, while the 9-year average (2016–2024) stood at just 52 per cent. The numbers indicate a maturing ecosystem that now forms the backbone of Pakistan’s telecom infrastructure.
Breaking down locally assembled units:
- 53 million were 2G handsets
- 52 million were smartphones
For context, in the entire year of 2024, Pakistan had assembled 31.38 million handsets, compared to importing only 1.71 million—an indicator that this year might surpass even that strong performance if the current pace continues.
Homegrown brands rise
The top performers in the local mobile phone assembly scene in the first five months of 2025 were:
- Infinix – 1.34 million units
- VGO Tel – 1.33 million
- Itel – 1.07 million
- Vivo – 0.96 million
- Samsung – 0.67 million
- Xiaomi – 0.65 million
- G’Five – 0.64 million
- Tecno – 0.62 million
- Nokia – 0.52 million
- QMobile – 0.50 million
This vibrant brand diversity reflects growing investor confidence in Pakistan’s manufacturing capabilities, as well as strong consumer demand for budget-friendly and mid-range smartphones.
Pakistan goes smart
Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) data shows that 67 per cent of devices on Pakistani networks are smartphones, while the remaining 33 per cent are legacy 2G handsets, highlighting an ongoing shift toward greater digital connectivity across the country.
In May 2025, the PTA processed over 10,000 consumer complaints related to telecom and internet services, achieving an impressive 97.92 per cent resolution rate.
How major telecom players fared:
Jazz: 3,543 complaints, 99.3 per cent resolved
Zong: 2,724 complaints
Telenor: 1,722 complaints
Ufone: 1,129 complaints, 97.4 per cent resolved
Internet service providers faced 695 complaints, with a 90.5 per cent resolution rate, while basic telephony services received 126 complaints, of which 89.7 per cent were resolved.
Digital surge
Pakistan’s rapid pivot toward locally assembled mobile devices, backed by proactive consumer service oversight, paints a promising picture of the country’s digital growth.
With strong policy support, investment in manufacturing, and rising digital adoption, Pakistan is no longer just a mobile consumer—it’s becoming a mobile production powerhouse.
