Are there cell phones in north korea

The "Pyongyang Touch" was supposedly popular with North Korea's youth. It ran a modified version of Android that was "localized for North Korean purposes. The "Pyongyang Touch" could have also been the "Arirang. It's not like these phones or the companies that made them have accessible websites. It was said that the original "Arirang" phone was actually some sort of clone or rebranded model of the Chinese-made Uniscope U from Based on the Uniscope U, the original Arirang had a 4.

It also had a "3D stereo sound chamber design," and a 1,mAh battery. One of the more recent smartphones that became available to North Koreans is the "Jindallae 3," which translates to "Azalea 3," which was released in June It's unclear if there was a Jindallae 1 or 2, and the Jindallae 3's specs aren't immediately obvious.

But it does look quite nice, and it was also available in black. Spec-wise, the Arirang has a 4. It's slightly more powerful than the Qualcomm Snapdragon that were used in premium high end devices in North Korean users could also use their fingerprints to unlock the device with a fingerprint sensor. Unfortunately, it's unclear how much the Arirang costs. The chip, specifically is a MediaTek MT with eight cores running at 1. Updated 23rd May North Korean customs may confiscate devices found to contain the above type of prohibited media.

It is fine to take your mobile phone to Korea to take photographs. Other mobile phone advice. Get our newsletter: Submit. Find us on. Please complete your details below. Trouble logging in? Reset password. Remember me. Sign in. Your details We need this information in order to create your account.

Sign me up to the Newsletter. North Korean phones can only be used to call domestic numbers and have some unique security features.

Downloading or transferring files is severely restricted. Apps such as maps, games and an English dictionary show they are developed by North Korean engineers at state-run enterprises or state universities. The regime has also developed a home-grown surveillance tool on mobile phones, according the U. When a user accesses illegal or non-state approved media, an alert is generated and stored inside the phone.

A modified version of Android also conducts surveillance and tracks users, Hacker House said. She used the phone to help successfully run a retail business selling Chinese clothes and shampoos, arranging deliveries from wholesalers. Ads for an Arirang-branded handset also claimed to use MediaTek chips. The Pyongyang smartphone manufactured last year featured Mediatek's MT chipset and a slot for one SIM card and one memory card.

The memory card's serial number showed it was produced by Japanese chip-maker Toshiba Google said any hardware maker can use open-source Android software at no cost, meaning no export rules are being violated in regards to North Korean smartphones.