New version of Pyongyang smartphone resembles the iPhone
The Pyongyang 2438 phone, left, looks like an iPhone 14 Pro Max, right. [Image / NK Times]
North Korea has launched a new smartphone with an iPhone lookalike design.
According to internal materials recently obtained by this publication, the Pyongyang 2438 phone was unveiled in November.
Its exterior features a design remarkably similar to the Apple iPhone, with smooth curves and a refined finish, adding to its luxurious appearance.
The most notable feature is the triple lens, which is configured the same as the iPhone. The design is like that of the triple lens introduced with the iPhone 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max models in September 2019.
With its attractive and familiar look, North Korea appears to be targeting its wealthy traveling class with a view to attracting foreign currency.
It remains unclear whether the photo and video quality and functions, including ultra-wide, wide, and telephoto lenses, will be the same as those in the iPhone.
The phone includes new features such as photo translation, voice translation, and simultaneous interpretation in English, Chinese, Russian, and Japanese, which were not available in previous models.
“Mobile phones are a symbol of wealth and power in North Korea,” a defector and IT expert said. “Judging from the design, my guess is that this one is part of a strategy to gain foreign currency.”
He added, however, that local consumers will almost certainly be unable to access the Internet with this phone. “The actual services they get from it will be very limited,” he said.There are several smartphone brands in the North. They include Blue Sky, Cheongsong, and Pyongyang. Among them, the Pyongyang series is regarded as the flagship model. An updated version of the Pyongyang series, incorporating the latest technology, is released each year and receives considerable attention among the wealthy class.
Kang is a reporter at NK Times, a Seoul-based media outlet focused on North Korean issues. He was born in 1978 in Chongjin and graduated from Chongjin 1st High School in North Korea. After 10 years of military service in the 4th Army Corps, he attended Chongjin Agricultural University before defecting.
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