After unveiling a brand new smartphone known as the “Hwawon” final month, North Korea has been promoting the product via phone-based orders, Each day NK has realized.
Talking on situation of anonymity for safety causes, a number of sources inside North Korea advised Each day NK Monday that whereas the Hwawon has been launched, the telephones are usually not on show cabinets in Pyongyang and are even tougher to seek out outdoors of the capital.
New smartphone fashions known as the Hwawon 301 and Hwawon 201 had been unveiled Oct. 25 as a part of Mild Business Growth-2023an occasion held on the gentle trade corridor of the Three Revolutions Exhibition in Pyongyang. However it seems that few of the fashions are literally obtainable for buy.
“Service facilities affiliated with the Mangyongdae, Potong River, and Central Ward tech firms have put up posters encouraging clients to inquire in regards to the new smartphone over the cellphone, with out offering any particulars about gross sales or the service plan. In Pyongyang, the [Hwawon] smartphone can solely be bought via designated cellular service facilities,” a supply in Pyongyang defined.
The shortage of particulars and the requirement to inquire over the cellphone appear aimed toward stopping leaks of details about the brand new product and thoroughly managing the record of purchasers.
“A couple of the underside [wealthy entrepreneurs] and cadres have had individuals in Pyongyang purchase [a Hwawon smartphone] for his or her private use,” a supply in North Pyongan Province mentioned.
The Hwawon smartphone is reportedly promoting for a number of hundred US {dollars}.
“There are giant and small variations of the Hwawon smartphone. The small one measures 14.5cm lengthy and 7cm vast, whereas the big one measures 16.5cm lengthy and seven.5cm vast. The small one is priced at USD 500, and the big one is priced at USD 750,” the Pyongyang supply mentioned.
North Korean firms have just lately been using the gross sales technique of various the scale and storage capability of things in the identical product line. For instance, the Mangyongdae IT Firm has divided the Jindallae 6 smartphone into three subtypes (the 6, 6-1, and 6A), whereas the Jindallae 400 provides totally different reminiscence and storage choices. These firms look like diversifying their lineup in an try to extend gross sales.
As for the options of the brand new Hwawon smartphone, the supply handed on the next description from the salesperson: “It has facial and iris recognition, takes high-resolution images, and represents a big enchancment in knowledge processing and transmission capabilities.”
“The Hwawon smartphone is being produced at a manufacturing facility run by the Checom Expertise Joint Enterprise Firm,” the supply mentioned.
The Checom Expertise Joint Enterprise Firm is the producer of the Pyongyang smartphone collection, the best-known smartphone in North Korea. That raises the likelihood that the corporate, which has not launched a brand new product of its personal just lately, is manufacturing the Hwawon smartphone on behalf of one other firm.
New telephones could run on 4G mobile community
In a associated improvement, North Korea is regarded as manufacturing merchandise that make use of fourth technology (4G) cellular expertise. The phrase “4G” was noticed in a smartphone commercial displayed in a video on North Korean propaganda web site “Chosun At present” on Nov. 7. Whereas the precise identify of the smartphone didn’t seem within the video, it’s potential that North Korea has begun promoting smartphones that run on a 4G mobile community.
Notably, a product named “Chongsong 234” appeared on the identical video. A product known as “Arirang 221” was additionally noticed in a video that ran on Korean Central Tv on Oct. 25.
In brief, North Korea has saved creating and producing new smartphones regardless of worldwide sanctions and the financial difficulties attributable to COVID-19.
Translated by David Carruth. Edited by Robert Lauler.
Each day NK works with a community of sources who stay inside North Korea, China and elsewhere. Their identities stay nameless as a result of safety issues. Extra details about Each day NK’s reporting accomplice community and data gathering actions could be discovered on our FAQ web page right here.
Please direct any feedback or questions on this text to dailynkenglish@uni-media.web.
Learn in Korean
