North Korea tightly controls all technology within its borders, where foreign smartphones are strictly banned and possession can lead to severe punishment. However, rare smuggled handsets provide a chilling glimpse into the regime’s extreme digital surveillance and propaganda apparatus. These domestically produced or modified devices run on heavily customized Android systems designed to isolate users from the outside world while feeding them state-approved content.
The most detailed public examination of these phones came in 2025 from tech YouTuber Mrwhosetheboss (Arun Maini), who tested two smuggled models provided by the independent outlet Daily NK: the budget Haeyang 701 (also known as Han 701) and the more advanced flagship Samtaesung 8 (variously spelled Samtaeseong or Samtaesong 8).
Extreme Built-in Censorship
These North Korean phones demonstrate some of the most aggressive content controls ever implemented in consumer devices. The operating system actively rewrites language to align with regime ideology:
- Typing “South Korea” (Namhan) often autocorrects to “Puppet State” or is blocked entirely with asterisks.
- South Korean slang like “oppa” (a term for older brother or boyfriend) is automatically changed to “comrade,” accompanied by warnings.
- References to Kim Jong-un are automatically bolded.
- Even terms related to North Korea itself face restrictions in newer models.
The phones also block or alter politically sensitive words, ensuring users stay within approved linguistic boundaries. This goes far beyond simple filtering — the system proactively reshapes communication in real time.
No Access to the Global Internet
Connectivity is one of the most heavily restricted aspects. The Wi-Fi toggle is typically disabled or removed, preventing any connection to the outside world. Users are limited to “Mirae,” North Korea’s domestic intranet, which requires government approval and a special SIM card. This network offers only state propaganda, approved applications, and heavily monitored services, with connection speeds ranging from 2 to 33 Mbps.
Constant Surveillance
Perhaps the most invasive feature is the hidden surveillance system. Reports indicate that these phones automatically capture screenshots at regular intervals — sometimes every few minutes — storing them in inaccessible folders. Authorities can review this material at any time, creating a pervasive monitoring environment that users cannot disable or detect.
Hardware and Design
The hardware reflects North Korea’s limited technological capabilities and reliance on older components:
- The Haeyang 701 serves as an entry-level model with notably poor camera performance, producing grainy images lacking modern features like ultrawide lenses or optical zoom.
- The Samtaesung 8, positioned as a 2023 flagship (with a domestic price equivalent to around $1,000), uses MediaTek processors, 8GB RAM, and 256GB storage. It resembles older Huawei designs with thick bezels, a notch, and buggy cameras that apply watermarks to photos. By global standards, it appears dated despite its premium positioning inside North Korea.
Both models run outdated Android versions modified with North Korean custom ROMs, complete with propaganda-themed apps and wallpapers.
Broader Context
North Korea has produced earlier phone lines, such as the Arirang series, all designed exclusively for tightly controlled domestic use. Smuggled foreign phones (particularly South Korean or Chinese models) are highly sought after near borders but carry extreme risks. The regime uses its official devices not just for communication, but as tools for indoctrination and maintaining information isolation.
The Mrwhosetheboss video, which has garnered millions of views, remains one of the most comprehensive and accessible looks at these unique devices. It highlights how technology, in the hands of a totalitarian state, becomes another instrument of control rather than empowerment.
These smuggled smartphones serve as powerful reminders of the digital Iron Curtain that still divides North Korea from the rest of the world. While they may appear as ordinary handsets on the surface, their deeply embedded restrictions reveal a system engineered to monitor, censor, and indoctrinate at every tap and swipe.
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