Device affordability has emerged as the single most critical barrier to scaling digital inclusion, CEO JazzWorld Aamir Ibrahim said during an engagement at the IMF–World Bank Spring Meetings 2026 in Washington, urging coordinated global action to address the growing gap between demand for digital services and access to affordable smartphones.
Speaking at a World Bank Digital Day roundtable on device affordability, Ibrahim underscored that while demand for digital services continues to surge, millions remain excluded due to the rising cost of entry-level smartphones.
“The demand is there, the constraint is affordability. If we solve this issue with devices, we unlock digital inclusion at a large scale,” he said, emphasising that smartphones are now the primary gateway to financial services, education, and digital livelihoods.
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Participants highlighted that global supply-side pressures, particularly rising memory and component costs, are pushing smartphone prices upward, disproportionately impacting low-cost devices in price-sensitive markets such as Pakistan.
“What we’re seeing is a classic upstream shock with real downstream consequences for inclusion,” Ibrahim noted, adding that affordability challenges are slowing the transition to next-generation technologies and limiting broader economic participation.
The discussion reinforced that the issue extends beyond supply constraints and must be treated as a development priority. Despite strong consumer demand, Ibrahim added, affordability barriers are preventing millions from accessing digital financial services and participating in the formal economy.
A key area of focus was the shift from upfront affordability to monthly affordability, moving beyond sticker price barriers. Stakeholders emphasised the importance of scalable device financing models, including installment plans bundled with connectivity, as a pathway to expand access.
However, it was understood that such solutions require deeper collaboration between telecom operators, financial institutions, and device manufacturers. Enabling policy frameworks will also be essential, including rationalising taxes on entry-level smartphones to ease sticker price pressures, strengthening credit risk models, and fostering a trusted refurbished device ecosystem.
Ibrahim said the success of AI in emerging markets is fundamentally tied to device access, stressing that without widespread penetration of affordable and capable smartphones, even the most impactful AI-driven solutions risked remaining out of reach.
“AI will only be truly transformative in emerging markets if it is accessible, practical, and deployable on the devices people actually possess,” he said.
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