Mobile Phone Glossary: Every Spec and Pakistani Market Term in Plain Words
This glossary explains the words you see on phone spec sheets and in Pakistani phone ads, from PTA terms like Non PTA, DIRBS and CPID to specs like UFS, LTPO, nits and IP68. Each entry is short, and where a topic needs more detail, we link to a full guide. Use it as a quick reference before you compare phones or read a used phone listing.
Updated 24 October 2026
PTA and registration terms
- PTA approved: the phone's IMEI is registered in DIRBS and the tax is paid; it works with any Pakistani SIM permanently
- Non PTA: an original phone that is not registered; a local SIM works for 60 days from first use, then needs registration. See what is a Non PTA mobile (What Is a Non PTA Mobile? Everything You Should Know)
- Non Custom: market term for imported stock on which local customs duty and PTA tax have not been paid; in practice the same as Non PTA. See Non Custom mobiles in Pakistan (Non Custom Mobiles in Pakistan: What They Are and How to Buy)
- DIRBS: Device Identification, Registration and Blocking System, PTA's system for registering IMEIs, at dirbs.pta.gov.pk
- PTA tax: the duty and taxes set by FBR and paid when registering a phone. See PTA tax on mobile phones (PTA Tax on Mobile Phones: How It Is Calculated and Paid)
- PSID: the payment ID DIRBS generates showing the exact tax; valid for 7 days
- 8484: the PTA short code to check a phone's status by SMS
- Temporary registration: free 120-day registration of one phone for overseas visitors
Unofficial and risky terms
These are market labels, not official statuses, and they carry real risk: - CPID: a phone given another phone's registered IMEI through paid software so it looks approved; illegal - Patch or patch approved: software altered so a SIM works without tax; usually breaks after an update and can be blocked - JV: usually a carrier-locked iPhone made to accept local SIMs with an unofficial chip or software trick - IMEI change: altering a phone's identity; an offence under PECA 2016 - Software approved: another name for a patched phone
We do not sell or offer any of these. Read CPID vs patch vs PTA approved (CPID vs Patch vs PTA Approved Mobile: What Is the Difference?) and iPhone JV vs PTA vs Non PTA (iPhone JV vs PTA vs Non PTA: What Each Term Really Means).
Condition and market terms
- Box pack: new and sealed in the original retail box. See box pack mobile meaning (Box Pack Mobile Meaning in Pakistan)
- Open box: box opened, phone nearly unused but no longer sealed
- Kit: a phone sold without its box or accessories, often used
- Used: owned before; condition varies
- Refurbished: repaired and tested, sometimes with replaced parts
- 10/10, 9/10: the seller's rating of looks only. See used phone condition grades (Used Phone Condition Grades: What 10/10, 9/10, Kit and Panel Changed Mean)
- Scratchless: no visible scratches
- Panel changed: the screen has been replaced
- Water pack: a market term explained in water pack phone meaning (Water Pack iPhone Meaning in Pakistan (and How to Check One))
- FU (factory unlocked): sold by the brand without a carrier lock, so it accepts any SIM. See factory unlocked meaning (Factory Unlocked Meaning, and How It Differs from JV and Non PTA)
- Carrier locked: tied to one network, common on US phones
- BH: battery health, the percentage shown on iPhones
Display terms
- AMOLED / OLED: self-lit screens with true blacks and high contrast
- Super AMOLED, Dynamic AMOLED: Samsung's names for its AMOLED panels
- POLED: OLED on a flexible plastic base, used for curved screens
- IPS LCD: a backlit screen, common on budget phones; weaker blacks
- Nits: brightness; higher is easier to read in sunlight
- HBM: high brightness mode, the sunlight brightness figure
- Hz (refresh rate): how many times per second the screen updates; 120Hz is smoother than 60Hz
- LTPO: a technology that lets the refresh rate drop to as low as 1Hz to save battery
- PWM: a dimming method that flickers; higher frequency is easier on the eyes
- HD+, FHD+, 1.5K, QHD+: resolution levels from basic to sharpest
- Gorilla Glass, Gorilla Armor: screen glass strength
Full detail in mobile display specs explained (Mobile Display Specs Explained: Nits, Refresh Rate, AMOLED, LTPO and More).
Performance, storage and memory
- Chipset or SoC: the phone's main processor, such as Snapdragon, Dimensity, Helio, Exynos, Tensor or Apple A-series
- nm (nanometre): chip manufacturing size; smaller usually means more efficient and cooler
- CPU and GPU: the general processor and the graphics processor; the GPU matters for games
- RAM: short-term memory for open apps; 8GB is comfortable for most users
- Virtual or extended RAM: storage used as slow extra memory
- LPDDR4X, LPDDR5, LPDDR5X: RAM types, from slower to faster
- Storage: space for apps and files, such as 128GB or 256GB
- UFS: the storage standard in Android phones; UFS 2.2, 3.1 and 4.0 get faster in that order
- eMMC: older, slower storage on the cheapest phones
- Thermal throttling: the phone slowing itself down to cool off
See UFS storage explained (What Is UFS in Mobile? UFS 2.2, 3.1, 4.0, eMMC and RAM Types Explained) and best gaming phones in Pakistan (Best Gaming Phones in Pakistan).
Camera terms
- MP (megapixel): image resolution; more is not always better. Sensor size and processing matter more
- Main, ultra-wide, telephoto: the standard camera, the wide-angle camera and the zoom camera
- Periscope: a folded telephoto lens that gives long optical zoom, like 5x
- Optical zoom vs digital zoom: optical keeps quality; digital crops and loses detail
- OIS: optical image stabilisation, which reduces blur in low light and video
- EIS: electronic stabilisation done in software
- Aperture (f/1.8 and so on): a lower number lets in more light
- 4K 60fps: video resolution and frames per second
- Night mode, portrait mode, HDR: software modes for low light, background blur and high contrast scenes
See best camera phones in Pakistan (Best Camera Phones in Pakistan).
Battery, charging and connectivity
- mAh: battery capacity; 5,000mAh is common, and more usually lasts longer
- W (watts): charging speed; 45W charges much faster than 18W
- PD, PPS: USB-C fast charging standards used by Samsung, Pixel and iPhone
- SUPERVOOC, FlashCharge, HyperCharge: brand names for fast charging from Oppo, Vivo and Xiaomi
- Wireless charging, MagSafe, Qi2: cable-free charging standards
- Reverse charging: using the phone to charge earbuds or another phone
- Dual SIM: two SIMs at once; may be two physical SIMs or one plus eSIM
- eSIM: a digital SIM with no card; Pakistani operators offer it, but check before buying an eSIM-only phone
- VoLTE: HD voice calls over 4G
- 5G: the newest network, now live in parts of big cities
- NFC: contactless payments and quick pairing
- IMEI: the 15-digit identity of each SIM slot; dial *#06#
Durability and software
- IP68, IP67, IP69: dust and water resistance ratings; IP68 survives immersion, IP69 high-pressure jets. See IP68, IP67 and IP69 explained (What Is IP68 in Mobile? IP67 vs IP68 vs IP69 Water Resistance)
- IP54, IP64: splash and dust protection only
- Android version and skin: the base OS and the brand's interface, such as One UI, HyperOS, ColorOS, Funtouch OS or XOS
- OS updates and security updates: new Android versions and monthly or quarterly security patches. See software update years by brand (How Many Years of Updates Does Each Phone Brand Give?)
- Bloatware: pre-installed apps you may not want
- Bootloader: the startup software; locked on most phones for security
All our Android phones are Non Custom box pack, iPhone 16 and 17 are Non PTA box pack, and iPhone 11 to 15 are used Non PTA units, each with its original IMEI and a 7-day checking warranty.
