Unfortunately you Can’t Buy a Decent Smartphone Under PKR 30-40k in Pakistan Anymore

Pakistan was becoming one of the largest emerging mobile phone markets in the world until 2021. A number of major international players like Samsung, Xiaomi, Huawei, Tecno, Realme, etc, were competing in the indigenous market of the country. These companies were releasing a number of smartphones each month. They also set up their local assemblies in Pakistan which further ramped up the healthy competition. The companies were offering smartphones with decent specs at affordable prices. At that time, an average person could easily purchase a decent smartphone under PKR 30k price range. However, things turned grim in 2022 when the global recession hit the world and Pakistan was among the worst-hit nations.

Mobile phones have become increasingly expensive in the last year mainly due to the recession and worsening economic conditions. However, this isn’t the only reason that led to the increase in smartphone prices. So, let’s find out what are some of the other reasons which caused smartphone prices to drop significantly.

LCs closed and Import Bans:

Since 2022, the State Bank of Pakistan put a ban on imports and stopped issuing LCs to importers. It is because of the worsening macroeconomic conditions and meager foreign exchange reserves. Even a tranche from IMF didn’t solve the problem and the bans are still in place on a number of items.

More Demand Making Existing Devices More Expensive:

Increased demand for mobile phones can lead to higher prices due to the basic economic principles of supply and demand. As very few smartphones are being launched, so the demand factor has further increased the price of the smartphones.

R&D and Component Prices:

Factors such as the rising cost of components and research and development also contribute to the high cost of mobile phones. Additionally, some manufacturers charge a premium for their brand and reputation.

Local Assemblies Shutting Down (Rumors):

Some strong rumors were recently circulating on the web which indicated that a number of local mobile assemblies were shutting down their operations in Pakistan. It is because the SBP isn’t opening LCs or only issues for a certain quota. The local mobile assemblies have incurred heavy losses owing to the situation and therefore different local news outlets have been reporting lately that these assemblies are shutting down operations in Pakistan. This has further led to an increase in smartphone prices.

Now we are going to compare the prices of certain smartphones so you get an idea of the price change.

Comparison between new prices and old prices: (In contrast to last year)

Devices	Old Price (PKR)	New Price (PKR)
Oppo A54	31,000	50,000
Samsung A32	39,999	57,999
Oppo A16	27,999	42,999
Redmi Note 11 (4GB)	35,999	50,000
Redmi Note 11 (6GB)	38,000	55,000
Redmi Note 11 Pro (8GB)	61,000	81,000
Realme C21	21,000	30,000
Tecno Camon 18 Premier	55,000	60,000
Tecno Spark 8 Pro (4/64)	25,000	36,000
Tecno Pop 5 LTE	16,000	25,000
Infinix Smart 6	19,000	25,000
Oppo Reno 6 pro	110,000	120,000
Samsung Z Fold 4	4,20,000	4,50,000
Samsung Z Flip 4	2,65,000	2,95,000
Apple iPhone 13 pro max	301,200	370,000

Netizens and local vendors posting photos and memes to Show the increase in Prices:

These visuals are latently giving the impression that the increase in prices is subtle and users are finding it hard to digest this fact. We hope economic conditions to become better in the near future so that the mobile industry can be at its optimal level which eventually leads to the downfall in mobile prices.

Check out?

Best Mobile Phones under PKR 12000 in Pakistan (2023 Updated)

Best Mobiles for PUBG & Budget Phones for PUBG Under 20,000 & 30,000

5 Best Smartphones Under 15000 PKR in Pakistan