By Ijaz Kakakhel

Pakistan has reached a significant milestone in its journey toward digital transformation, producing 961,326 5G smartphones between January 2025 and May 2026.

According to data prepared by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), a copy of which is available with Wealth Pakistan, Samsung led local production, manufacturing 396,268 5G smartphone devices assembled by Lucky Motor Corporation.

Vivo followed with 248,508 units produced through Coastal Jade Technology (Pvt.) Ltd, while Infinix/Tecno jointly manufactured 216,560 devices through Inovi Telecom (Pvt.) Ltd.

Oppo contributed 96,900 units, followed by Nubia (ZTE) producing 3,090 devices, bringing the cumulative total to 961,326 locally assembled 5G handsets.

Official figures further reveal that more than 15.56 million 5G-capable IMEIs have been detected on Pakistani mobile networks since 2019. Of these, approximately 3.81 million devices have been registered in the Device Identification, Registration and Blocking System (DIRBS), making them approved for use on local networks.

The PTA has also highlighted the importance of affordable smartphones in accelerating Pakistan's digital future. According to the Authority, the most affordable imported 5G handset is the ZTE Nubia Focus 5G, priced at around Rs45,000, while the Tecno Camon 30 is currently the cheapest locally manufactured 5G smartphone, costing about Rs50,000.

The documents also note that Nubia offers one of the lowest-priced locally assembled 5G devices, at approximately Rs36,000, making next-generation connectivity more accessible to consumers.

The regulator has urged the government to rationalize taxes and duties on mobile handsets, arguing that high taxation significantly increases smartphone prices and slows broadband and 5G adoption.

PTA believes lower taxes would make smartphones more affordable, particularly for low- and middle-income households, students and first-time users, while also discouraging illegal imports and IMEI tampering.

According to the analysis, affordable smartphones are essential to expanding digital inclusion and supporting online education, telemedicine, digital banking, and e-commerce.

The Authority maintains that lower handset prices would encourage faster adoption of 5G services, strengthen Pakistan's digital economy, create employment opportunities through expanded local manufacturing, and increase long-term government revenues by broadening the tax base through higher economic activity.

According to the documents, the production of nearly one million locally manufactured 5G smartphones is a major milestone for Pakistan's electronics sector.

As the country prepares for wider 5G deployment, expanding local manufacturing and improving smartphone affordability are expected to play a central role in ensuring that the benefits of next-generation connectivity reach businesses and consumers across the country.

Credit: INP-WealthPk