After unveiling a new smartphone called the “Hwawon” last month, North Korea has been selling the product through phone-based orders, Daily NK has learned.
Speaking on condition of anonymity for security reasons, multiple sources inside North Korea told Daily NK Monday that while the Hwawon has been launched, the phones are not on display shelves in Pyongyang and are even harder to find outside of the capital.
New smartphone models called the Hwawon 301 and Hwawon 201 were unveiled Oct. 25 as part of Light Industry Development-2023, an event held at the light industry hall of the Three Revolutions Exhibition in Pyongyang. But it appears that few of the models are actually available for purchase.
“Service centers affiliated with the Mangyongdae, Potong River, and Central Ward tech companies have put up posters encouraging interested customers to inquire about the new smartphone over the phone, without providing any details about sales or the service plan. In Pyongyang, the [Hwawon] smartphone can only be purchased through designated mobile service centers,” a source in Pyongyang explained.
The lack of details and the requirement to inquire over the phone seem aimed at preventing leaks of information about the new product and carefully managing the list of purchasers.
“A few donjuLiterally "masters of money," donju refers to people who hav... More [wealthy entrepreneurs] and cadres have had people in Pyongyang buy [a Hwawon smartphone] for their personal use,” a source in North Pyongan Province said.
The Hwawon smartphone is reportedly selling for several hundred US dollars.
“There are large and small versions of the Hwawon smartphone. The small one measures 14.5cm long and 7cm wide, while the large one measures 16.5cm long and 7.5cm wide. The small one is priced at USD 500, and the large one is priced at USD 750,” the Pyongyang source said.
North Korean companies have recently been employing the sales strategy of varying the size and storage capacity of items in the same product line. For example, the Mangyongdae IT Company has divided the Jindallae 6 smartphone into three subtypes (the 6, 6-1, and 6A), while the Jindallae 400 offers different memory and storage options. These companies appear to be diversifying their lineup in an attempt to increase sales.
As for the features of the new Hwawon smartphone, the source passed on the following description from the salesperson: “It has facial and iris recognition, takes high-resolution photographs, and represents a significant improvement in data processing and transmission capabilities.”
“The Hwawon smartphone is being produced at a factory run by the Checom Technology Joint Venture Company,” the source said.
The Checom Technology Joint Venture Company is the manufacturer of the Pyongyang smartphone series, the best-known smartphone in North Korea. That raises the possibility that the company, which has not released a new product of its own recently, is manufacturing the Hwawon smartphone on behalf of another company.
New phones may run on 4G cellular network
In a related development, North Korea is thought to be manufacturing products that make use of fourth generation (4G) mobile technology. The phrase “4G” was spotted in a smartphone advertisement displayed in a video on North Korean propaganda website “Chosun Today” on Nov. 7. While the exact name of the smartphone did not appear in the video, it is possible that North Korea has begun selling smartphones that run on a 4G cellular network.
Notably, a product named “Chongsong 234” appeared on the same video. A product called “Arirang 221” was also observed in a video that ran on Korean Central Television on Oct. 25.
In short, North Korea has kept developing and producing new smartphones despite international sanctions and the economic difficulties caused by COVID-19.
Translated by David Carruth. Edited by Robert Lauler.
Daily NK works with a network of sources who live inside North Korea, China and elsewhere. Their identities remain anonymous due to security concerns. More information about Daily NK’s reporting partner network and information gathering activities can be found on our FAQ page here.
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