Smartphone prices up Rs 15,000 to Rs 30,000: a 4GB/64GB phone now costs about Rs 40,000
A budget phone that cost Rs 20,000 to Rs 22,000 a few months ago now sells for Rs 35,000 to Rs 40,000 in Karachi's markets. Dealers blame memory chips, not taxes.
Mobile phone prices in Pakistan have jumped again: every major brand has raised handset prices by Rs 15,000 to Rs 30,000, and a basic phone with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage that sold for about Rs 20,000 to Rs 22,000 a few months ago now costs Rs 35,000 to Rs 40,000 in Karachi's markets, Dawn reported on Monday after visiting Saddar, Buffer Zone and North Karachi.
What has gone up
| Phone | Earlier | Now |
|---|---|---|
| Budget 4GB/64GB smartphone | Rs 20,000 to Rs 22,000 | Rs 35,000 to Rs 40,000 |
| A buyer's target model | Rs 22,000 to Rs 23,000 | about Rs 30,000 by August, higher since |
| Typical increase per handset, all major brands | Rs 15,000 to Rs 30,000 |
A buyer in North Karachi told Dawn he could not find a usable new handset for Rs 25,000 to Rs 30,000 at Abdullah Mobile Market near UP Mor.
Why: memory chips, not taxes
Muhammad Rizwan Irfan, president of the Karachi Electronics Dealers Association, said the rise is mainly down to chip costs, and that government taxes have not gone up significantly, ProPakistani reported. A representative of the Pakistan Mobile Phone Manufacturers Association blamed RAM and storage (ROM) prices: AI companies, robotics and data centres are buying memory faster than factories can make it, and local assemblers say they can no longer absorb the extra cost.
The effect is sharpest at the bottom of the market, where a few thousand rupees decides whether a student or a delivery rider can buy a phone at all. Dealers say budget sales are falling.
What buyers are doing
- Used phones: shops in Saddar report more customers asking for second-hand sets.
- Kit phones: refurbished sets imported in bulk without retail boxes. They are cheaper but carry little or no warranty.
- Keypad phones for calls only.
Before you buy
- Check the PTA status of any used or kit phone by sending its IMEI by SMS to 8484 or on the DIRBS site (dirbs.pta.gov.pk); an unregistered phone will be blocked. Our PTA mobile tax calculator shows the tax on a phone brought from abroad.
- Compare launch and current prices on our mobile price list, which records each model's price history.
- Ask for a warranty card and the IMEI on the box; a kit phone sold without either is a risk.
Related
Frequently asked questions
- Why have mobile prices increased in Pakistan?
- Dealers and manufacturers say the October 2026 rise is mainly due to higher memory (RAM and storage) chip prices driven by AI and data-centre demand, not higher government taxes.
- How much does a 4GB 64GB phone cost in Pakistan now?
- Dawn found budget 4GB/64GB smartphones selling for about Rs 35,000 to Rs 40,000 in Karachi markets in October 2026, against Rs 20,000 to Rs 22,000 a few months earlier.
Sources
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