Local mobile phone production in Pakistan fell sharply in September 2026. Factories and assembly plants produced 2.42 million handsets during the month, down 20 percent from the same month last year, according to data from the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA).
The fall is notable, but it is not the whole story. Production actually rose 46 percent compared with August, and locally assembled phones still met 96 percent of the country’s demand in September. The industry is shrinking year on year, yet it remains the backbone of the local phone market.
September in Numbers
The September figures, reported by PKRevenue on 3 November and confirmed by Profit (Pakistan Today) on 4 November, both citing PTA data, are:
- 2.42 million handsets produced locally in September 2026, down 20% year on year
- 3.01 million handsets produced in September 2025, for comparison
- 46% month-on-month rise in production from August 2026
- 110,000 handsets imported in September, down 48% year on year but up 38% month on month
- 2.53 million total supply (local production plus imports) in September, down 21% year on year
- 96% of demand met by local production in September, up from 95% in August
The monthly recovery is important. After a weak August, factories picked up strongly in September. But the yearly comparison shows the industry is still producing far less than it did a year ago.
The Nine-Month Picture
For the first nine months of 2026 (January to September), local manufacturers assembled 21.08 million handsets, down 7 percent from 22.78 million in the same period of 2025, according to Topline Securities’ reading of PTA data.
Local production supplied 88 percent of total demand over those nine months. Imports, meanwhile, stayed small: only 2.85 million handsets were imported commercially in the same period.
One note on the figures: some reports, including TechJuice on 29–30 October, put the nine-month local total at 20.08 million handsets rather than 21.08 million. Both sets of reports cite PTA data, so the gap of one million units appears to come from different counting methods. This article uses 21.08 million because it is the figure tied directly to the September 2.42 million number in the PTA/Topline data, but readers should know the two totals are circulating.
Which Brands Are Producing the Most
VGO Tel remained the largest locally assembled brand during the first nine months of 2026, producing 2.50 million units. The leading brands were:
| Brand | Handsets produced (Jan–Sep 2026) |
|---|---|
| VGO Tel | 2.50 million |
| Infinix | 1.96 million |
| Itel | 1.59 million |
| Tecno | 1.16 million |
| Samsung | 1.04 million |
| Vivo | 990,000 |
| Nokia | 970,000 |
| Club Mobile | 720,000 |
| X Mobile | 710,000 |
| Q Mobile | 640,000 |
The list shows how much of local production comes from Chinese brands and local assemblers. Samsung is the only major global brand in the top tier, with just over one million units.
Smartphones Hit Harder Than Feature Phones
The headline total of 2.42 million covers all handsets, including basic 2G feature phones. The smartphone side of the industry looks weaker. Separate PTA figures reported by Geo News and The News in early October showed local smartphone production at only 628,030 units in September, while feature-phone production held up at around 1.053 million units.
Industry representatives said local factories used to produce around 1.1 to 1.2 million smartphones a month. The September smartphone figure is roughly half that level.
At the same time, imports of fully built phones rose. Pakistan imported 105,121 used smartphones worth about $14.03 million in September, plus 23,616 new fully built phones worth about $19.40 million — a combined 128,737 units worth around $33.43 million. Used imports in particular are putting pressure on local smartphone makers, because they compete directly with locally assembled budget phones.
Why Production Is Falling
No single reason explains the fall, but several pressures are visible in the data and in industry comments:
- Weak demand. Buyers are holding back on new phones as prices stay high and household budgets stay tight. Feature phones, which are cheaper, are holding up better than smartphones.
- Rising costs. Manufacturers face higher component and production costs, which squeeze margins on low-priced phones.
- Competition from used imports. A sharp rise in imported used smartphones gives buyers a cheaper alternative to a new locally made phone.
- High import bill for parts. Local assembly still depends on imported parts. The mobile phone import bill for finished phones fell 16.6 percent to $417.24 million in the first quarter of FY2026–27, but September’s bill rose 7.1 percent month on month to $143.14 million.
The government is also working on a new Mobile Device Manufacturing Policy that aims to raise domestic value addition from the current 10–20 percent to 50 percent by 2033. That policy is still being drafted, so it offers no short-term relief to factories.
What It Means for Buyers
For people buying a phone in Pakistan, the production fall has a few practical effects:
- Local phones still dominate the shops. With 96 percent of September demand met locally, buyers will mostly find PTA-approved, locally assembled phones in stores. That is good for warranty and after-sales support.
- Budget smartphones may get scarcer. The sharp fall in smartphone production, combined with rising used imports, could mean fewer new budget smartphones on the shelves, or slower launches of new low-priced models.
- Used phones are filling the gap. The import of more than 105,000 used smartphones in one month shows many buyers are choosing second-hand phones. Buyers should check PTA approval and condition carefully before paying for a used phone.
- Prices are unlikely to fall soon. Lower production and high costs do not point to cheaper phones in the near term. Buyers waiting for a price cut may be waiting a while.
Conclusion
Pakistan’s mobile phone production fell 20 percent in September to 2.42 million units, and the nine-month total is down 7 percent to 21.08 million units. The monthly recovery from August and the 96 percent local share of demand show the industry is still standing, but the yearly decline — especially in smartphones — is a warning sign. Rising costs, weak demand, and competition from used imports are squeezing local factories. For buyers, locally assembled phones remain the norm, but the budget smartphone segment is under the most pressure.
FAQs
How many mobile phones were produced in Pakistan in September 2026?
Local factories produced 2.42 million handsets in September 2026, according to PTA data — down 20 percent from 3.01 million in September 2025.
Did production rise or fall compared with August?
It rose. September production was up 46 percent month on month from August 2026, even though it was down year on year.
How much of Pakistan’s phone demand is met locally?
Local production met 96 percent of demand in September 2026, up from 95 percent in August. For the first nine months of 2026, the figure was 88 percent.
Which brand produced the most phones in Pakistan in 2026?
VGO Tel led local production in January–September 2026 with 2.50 million units, followed by Infinix with 1.96 million and Itel with 1.59 million.
Why is local phone production falling?
Manufacturers face weak consumer demand, rising production costs, and growing competition from imported used smartphones. Smartphone production has fallen more sharply than feature-phone production.
Are phone imports rising?
Finished-phone imports fell 48 percent year on year to 110,000 units in September, but they rose 38 percent from August. Used smartphone imports — over 105,000 units in September — are the fastest-growing part of imports.
