CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?

North Korea Says It Made a Smartphone

But experts doubt it.

North Korea’s state media is reporting that the country has produced its first smartphone. Called the Arirang, the phone was inspected by the country’s leader Kim Jong-un during a factory tour. Kim demoed the phone and told factory workers that they should “select and produce shapes and colors that users like.” There is some dispute as to whether the phone was actually made in North Korea. One expert said it was more likely the phone was made in China. North Korea has had a mobile network since 2008, but the government severely restricts Internet activity and doesn’t allow its people to make calls outside of the country.