North Korea’s Smartphone Market Expands as Border Restrictions End
The variety of smartphones available in North Korea has more than doubled in the last two years, and at least 10 companies are now fighting for the attention of consumers. Some companies have even started following the marketing strategies of overseas competitors by offering multiple versions at different price points, giving consumers more choice than ever before.
However, all these new smartphones are still limited in function and subject to surveillance and control measures that make them useful for only basic communications and consumption of state-approved content. The presence of so many companies and models indicates the state continues to see great benefits in the use of cellular telephones and remains confident that the technology is securely locked down against any unauthorized use.
The new report, “Smartphones of North Korea 2024,” catalogs 55 smartphones that have been sold in North Korea, with specifications and other information where available.
Specs and Trends
Among the newest North Korean smartphones, handsets are comparable to mid-market phones available in many countries and feature multi-megapixel cameras and good technical specifications; however, they are considerably less useful than equivalent models overseas. As usual, all North Korean smartphones still come with software that monitors and restricts how they can be used and are blocked from accessing the Internet or making or receiving international phone calls and text messages.
Despite these restrictions, demand appears strong, and the country of roughly 24 million people is estimated to have risen to between 6.5 and seven million cellular subscriptions. That far outpaces the estimated 1.2 million fixed-line telephones, many of which remain in offices and organizations. Like many developing countries, a cellphone likely represents the first phone in many households.
Cellphones are popular because they allow people to keep in touch easily when it otherwise might be difficult. The phones are also useful for accessing information such as weather forecasts and sanctioned media and games. Recent reports say digital payment apps have also been enthusiastically adopted despite their potential for additional surveillance of citizens.
One trend noted in recent years is that North Korean smartphone brands appear to have begun offering several versions of a phone with differing specifications. This mirrors the strategy of companies like Apple and Samsung with their flagship products. For example, the new Hwawon phone is reportedly available in models priced at $500 and $750, the latter with a larger screen, while the Jindallae 6 comes in three models: 6, 6-1 and 6A, according to the report.
It’s not just smartphones, either. Several of the phone brands market a range of more basic bar and flip-type models as well.
Border Reopening
While the range of smartphones and feature phones is broader than it has ever been, there is one thing in common between them all: none are made in North Korea and the country remains dependent on Chinese companies for smartphone hardware. Consequently, when North Korea shut its borders to all but essential imports in early 2020, it appeared to have severely disrupted the domestic smartphone market. This meant that for several years, state media did not report on any new phones.
But that changed in 2023 as the country’s borders reopened.
In November last year, several new phones and new brands appeared at the Light Industry Development expo in Pyongyang. Most were from previously unknown companies, such as the Pothonggang New Technology Development Center, Puksae Electronic Trading Co. and Pyongje.
The phones were newer, more advanced models than had been seen prior to the pandemic and, for the first time, 4G handsets were on display.
4G Network
North Korea had relied on a 3G network since it relaunched public cellular telephony in late 2008, and network speeds were not fast. For that reason, a public Wi-Fi network was launched in some areas of Pyongyang to provide quicker access to domestic websites.
The 4G network was reportedly launched in 2023. Given the timing, this also suggests the network upgrade was held up for several years due to the border closure. The new network will offer considerably faster data connections, which is expected to drive continued demand for new handsets.
Security
While North Korean companies rely on foreign phone makers to produce the hardware, the same is not true of the software. The phones are loaded with a localized version of the Android operating system that has significantly more restrictions on how it can be used than in the rest of the world.
Connectivity is restricted to approved networks, and specialized software restricts the installation of unapproved apps. There are also blocks to stop phones being used to play unsanctioned media, such as videos, and access unapproved eBooks, reinforcing the country’s draconian ban on accessing outside information and foreign media.
By far, the biggest block is on the network itself, where users have no access to the Internet and cannot make or receive phone calls or text messages from outside of the country.
Outlook
The wide variety of handsets and brands and the launch of the new 4G network indicate that the North Korean state has seen significant advantage in allowing citizens access to cellular telephony. It also demonstrates the state’s confidence that its security systems continue to remain strong in restricting what citizens can do on their smartphones.
For these reasons, the smartphone market is expected to continue expanding over the next few years with new handsets and new applications, except all within the walled garden the country has created that cuts its citizens off from outside information.