North Korea unveils its ‘homemade’ smartphone

Rappler.com

SMARTPHONE. This undated picture released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on August 11, 2013 shows a close-up of the new touch-screen mobile phone "Arirang" at the May 11 factory at an undisclosed location in North Korea. AFP PHOTO / KCNA via KNS REPUBLIC OF KOREA

North Korea has unveiled what it says is a domestically-produced smartphone. Industry analysts say the “Arirang,” built around Google’s Android OS, is likely manufactured in neighboring China, however. The existence of the phone, named after a famous Korean folk song, came to light during a factory inspection by North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un at the weekend. During the tour, Kim was given a detailed briefing on the “performance, quality and packing of the Arirang hand phone,” Pyongyang’s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported. Some analysts suggest the “Arirang” is aimed at getting North Koreans to use an officially-approved phone that can be properly monitored.

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