North Korea media reveals new "home grown" smartphone

Named after a popular Korean folk song, North Korea unveiled its "AS1201 Arirang" which is a smartphone that the propaganda factory in the country says is built using "indigenous technology." Considering that the Android OS is seen on the phone, we wonder just how home grown this device is. There is some speculation that the actual device is manufactured in China and then boxed in North Korea.

Dennis Rodman's good friend Kim Jong-un was recently photographed at a "cell phone factory" and according to the KCNA, the country's supreme leader talked about the "patriotic enthusiasm with which the officials and employees of the factory laid a solid foundation for mass-producing hand phones by building a new modern hand phone production process."

Considering that North Koreans are prohibited from using the Internet, we're not sure who will get to own the device. Perhaps internet connectivity is disabled on the unit. And while no specs were released, we are told that the camera on the device offers "high pixels".

You might recall that as recently as June, we told you more information about the Achim tablet which runs on an older version of Android and is pre-loaded with books used by students in North Korean schools.


source: NorthKoreaTech, SkyNews via AndroidCentral