Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
Prices of smartphones assembled in Egypt have risen sharply since the beginning of 2026, with increases reaching nearly 80% in some mid-range models, according to a review of price lists issued by manufacturers and authorized distributors.
Samsung recorded the steepest increases among the brands examined. Prices for some of its entry-level models rose by as much as 63.6%, while selected mid-range devices became 78.1% more expensive. The cheapest Samsung phones in the affected category now begin at around 8,400 Egyptian pounds, or approximately $162 based on an exchange rate of 52 pounds to the dollar.
Other major manufacturers also raised prices, although the increases varied by brand and product category. Xiaomi lifted prices for some budget devices by as much as 30%, with entry-level models starting at roughly 6,700 pounds. Oppo increased prices in the same segment by up to 28.5%, putting its lowest-priced phones at approximately 9,000 pounds. Realme recorded an increase of about 23.7% in its budget range, with prices beginning at around 6,000 pounds.
The mid-range market has experienced even greater pressure. Oppo’s prices in that category increased by as much as 40%, while Realme raised prices by approximately 38%. Samsung again posted the largest reported increase, with some mid-range models rising by more than 78%.
The changes have added to pressure on Egyptian consumers, many of whom rely on affordable smartphones for communication, education, banking and access to digital services. Industry representatives say the increases have occurred despite the expansion of local production, which was expected to help reduce dependence on imports and protect the market from fluctuations in international prices.
Higher production and logistics costs
Two company officials attributed the increases to a rise of more than 35% in operating costs since the start of the year. The officials, who requested anonymity, pointed to higher prices for components, raw materials, shipping and imported production inputs.
The depreciation of the Egyptian pound has also increased the local cost of components purchased in foreign currency. The dollar rose above 52 pounds during the previous week, adding further pressure to companies whose assembly lines still depend on imported screens, processors, memory chips, batteries and other parts.
Geopolitical tensions have compounded those difficulties. Disruptions to maritime routes have increased freight costs and extended delivery times for imported components. Companies have also had to manage uncertainty surrounding regional conflicts and their effect on insurance, shipping and supply-chain planning.
One of the officials said the company had attempted to limit the increases as much as possible, but the combination of global electronics inflation and domestic currency pressures had made price adjustments unavoidable.
The situation illustrates one of the limitations of local assembly. Manufacturing phones in Egypt can reduce the cost of importing finished devices, but it does not eliminate exposure to international supply chains. Unless a greater share of components is produced domestically, local factories remain vulnerable to exchange-rate movements and overseas cost increases.
Local production expands
Egypt has encouraged handset assembly through its “Egypt Makes Electronics” initiative, which aims to attract international brands, create manufacturing jobs and develop a domestic electronics industry.
Around 15 brands now manufacture phones or accessories in Egypt, with combined maximum production capacity estimated at nearly 20 million devices a year. Total investments have been placed at approximately $200 million. Local production reached about 10 million phones in 2025, while the government is targeting output of 15 million units during 2026.
Several global brands, including Samsung, Oppo, Xiaomi, Vivo and Nokia, have established assembly operations in the country. Earlier industry forecasts indicated that Egypt’s handset market could expand significantly through the end of the decade as local manufacturing, rising smartphone demand and government incentives reinforce one another.
Manufacturers have also increased the proportion of locally sourced inputs. Four industry sources previously estimated that the domestic component share had risen to between 55% and 60%, compared with about 45% earlier. However, the higher local-content ratio has not prevented prices from rising, suggesting that imported components and foreign-currency costs still play a decisive role.
Restrictions on imported phones
Egypt has simultaneously tightened rules governing phones brought into the country from abroad. Through the “Telephony” system, users may be required to pay applicable taxes and customs charges for imported devices in order to keep them connected to local networks after a grace period of up to 90 days.
The policy is intended to discourage informal imports and encourage consumers to purchase devices assembled or officially distributed in Egypt. Egyptians living abroad have received certain accommodations, but the system has made overseas purchases more complicated for ordinary consumers.
A phone purchased abroad may appear cheaper at first glance, but the final cost can increase substantially once customs charges, taxes, distribution expenses and warranty considerations are included. If the required payments are not made, the device may eventually be blocked from Egyptian mobile networks.
Retailers and consumers have complained that some distributors are using the policy to justify profit margins they consider excessive. Trade representatives have called for closer monitoring by competition and consumer-protection authorities.
The price gap is visible in the premium segment. An authorized Apple distributor in Egypt has announced a starting price of 107,500 pounds for the iPhone 18 Pro Max with a two-year local warranty. That compares with a US starting price of $1,299 before sales tax. The difference does not represent pure distributor profit, because it also includes taxes, customs charges, import costs, distribution and warranty services.
Imports still increase
Despite the expansion of local assembly, Egypt’s imports under the category covering telephone equipment rose by 19.25% during the first half of 2026 to $946.55 million, compared with $793.75 million a year earlier. The category includes other communications equipment in addition to mobile phones, but the increase demonstrates that domestic manufacturing has not eliminated the country’s dependence on imported technology and components.
The central challenge for Egypt is therefore to expand production without allowing local assembly to become merely a final-stage process dependent on expensive foreign inputs. Greater domestic production of components, improved supply-chain efficiency and stronger competition among distributors could help limit future price increases.
For now, however, consumers face a difficult choice: purchase more expensive locally assembled devices, pay additional taxes and fees on imported phones, or postpone upgrades altogether. The government’s industrial strategy has succeeded in attracting manufacturers, but the latest price increases show that building production capacity does not automatically make smartphones more affordable.
