TL;DR
- YouTuber Mrwhosetheboss has exposed two North Korean smartphones, revealing extreme levels of state censorship, from blocked internet access to propaganda-filled apps and banned keywords.
- The devices secretly take automatic screenshots, restrict file access, and require government approval for installing even basic apps.
- Every part of the operating system is designed to monitor citizens, making personal computing virtually impossible.
North Korea’s smartphones were never meant to be seen by the outside world, but in a rare deep dive, YouTuber MrWhosetheboss has exposed just how the region and its regime rig devices for surveillance, censorship, and propaganda.
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In his latest video, titled “Testing North Korea’s illegal smartphones,” Arun Maini of MrWhosetheboss showcases two smuggled North Korean handsets, including a low-end model and a premium flagship phone conveniently called the “Samtaesung 8.” These North Korean phones aren’t just censored in a way that they don’t give you access to Google services or chat apps everyone in the world uses; they’re Orwellian-level state tools designed to monitor citizens and enforce ideological conformity.
Based on the hands-on investigation (parts of which have also been previously corroborated by outlets like the BBC), North Korean smartphones exhibit striking levels of censorship. If you’ve ever wondered what a smartphone looks like when the government takes control of the entire operating system, this is it.
As the YouTuber demonstrates, trying to type “South Korea” is impossible on these phones and autocorrects to “puppet state,” while alternative wording replaces the name of the country with asterisks. Modern slang or references from South Korean media trigger corrections or warnings, sometimes even converting the phrase to the regime-sanctioned version, and reminding users that certain words are forbidden.
The phones run on Android 10 and Android 11, featuring familiar, but fake apps.
Another huge red flag is that none of these phones connect to the actual internet. Instead, they access a closed intranet filled with state-approved websites. Even clock settings are controlled by the government. Users can’t change the timezone, modify dates, or sync with external servers. Everything is locked down to prevent communication with the outside world.
The phones run on Android 10 and Android 11, featuring familiar apps such as a browser, calendar, camera, and music player. However, almost all of them are fake versions built to keep users inside a government-curated bubble. Some apps simply don’t open, while others only display propaganda content.
The apps that do exist on the phones include regime-approved games, Russian and Indian movies, and biographical tributes to North Korean leaders. Even popular international content is pirated, edited, and rebranded by the state.
Attempts to install new apps require in-person store visits, where installations are explicitly authorized and time-limited by the government. Even local files and photos are tagged with government signatures, rendering any foreign content useless and deleted on sight.
The phones quietly take a screenshot every time you open an app.
When it comes to surveillance, these devices go way beyond your wildest imagination. They don’t just limit what users can do, but methodically watch what they try to do.
According to the walkthrough, the phones quietly take a screenshot every time a user opens an app. These screenshots are then saved on the handsets, creating a complete record of the user’s activity.
Moreover, photos can’t be shared, Bluetooth is locked down, and while file managers exist, they don’t give access to any meaningful directories.
In a nutshell, the very idea of a personal computing device does not exist in North Korea.
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