Online as well as the political world is abuzz over an interesting development. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has been seen with a smartphone. Usually, this would be a normal thing but when you consider that North Korea is banned from import or export of electronic devices, question arises, is the top leader of North Korea using a smuggled phone? Moreover, the 'foldable phone' has featured in a photo taken by the country's official KCNA news agency.

The device, silver in colour, was seen encased in a black cover on a table Kim Jong Un is sitting at when he was observing the launch of North Korea's newest and most powerful ballistic missile this week. It was a solid-fuel Hwasong-18 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).

AFP reported that the phone looked strikingly similar to Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip phone or China's Huawei Pocket S phones.

The photo fuelled speculation immediately.

"If the object in the photo is a foldable phone, it is highly likely that it was secretly smuggled to North Korea via China," South Korea's Joongang Ilbo newspaper reported.&nbsp;

Kim Jong Un is known for his love of gadgets. He has in past, been pictured using what looked like Apple products, including iPads and Macbooks.

United States' Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) estimates that only about 19 per cent of the North Korean population has access to mobile phones.

<h2>The missile launch</h2>

The ICBM launched on July 12 has been fired only once before, in April.

On Wednesday, the missile flew 1001 kilometres at a maximum altitude of 6,648 km before splashing into the East Sea, according to KCNA. The East Sea is also known as the Sea of Japan.

KCNA further said that the launch was a "grand explosion" that shook "the whole planet". Footage on the state media showed the missile blasting off into the sky.

Kim vowed that "a series of stronger military offensive" would be launched until the United States and South Korea change their policies towards North Korea, the agency added.&nbsp;

Citing the "unstable situation" on the Korean peninsula, Kim also called for "more intense efforts" to boost North Korea's nuclear arsenal.&nbsp;

The confirmation of the launch -- which the South Korean military had reported on Wednesday -- came with relations between the two Koreas at one of their lowest points ever.&nbsp;

Diplomacy has stalled. Kim Jong Un has called for ramping up weapons deployment. This includes tactical nukes.

(With inputs from agencies)

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

&nbsp;

Online as well as the political world is abuzz over an interesting development. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has been seen with a smartphone. Usually, this would be a normal thing but when you consider that North Korea is banned from import or export of electronic devices, question arises, is the top leader of North Korea using a smuggled phone?

Online as well as the political world is abuzz over an interesting development. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has been seen with a smartphone. Usually, this would be a normal thing but when you consider that North Korea is banned from import or export of electronic devices, question arises, is the top leader of North Korea using a smuggled phone? Moreover, the 'foldable phone' has featured in a photo taken by the country's official KCNA news agency. The device, silver in colour, was seen encased in a black cover on a table Kim Jong Un is sitting at when he was observing the launch of North Korea's newest and most powerful ballistic missile this week. It was a solid-fuel Hwasong-18 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). AFP reported that the phone looked strikingly similar to Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip phone or China's Huawei Pocket S phones. The photo fuelled speculation immediately. "If the object in the photo is a foldable phone, it is highly likely that it was secretly smuggled to North Korea via China," South Korea's Joongang Ilbo newspaper reported. Kim Jong Un is known for his love of gadgets. He has in past, been pictured using what looked like Apple products, including iPads and Macbooks. United States' Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) estimates that only about 19 per cent of the North Korean population has access to mobile phones. The missile launch The ICBM launched on July 12 has been fired only once before, in April. On Wednesday, the missile flew 1001 kilometres at a maximum altitude of 6,648 km before splashing into the East Sea, according to KCNA. The East Sea is also known as the Sea of Japan. KCNA further said that the launch was a "grand explosion" that shook "the whole planet". Footage on the state media showed the missile blasting off into the sky. Kim vowed that "a series of stronger military offensive" would be launched until the United States and South Korea change their policies towards North Korea, the agency added. Citing the "unstable situation" on the Korean peninsula, Kim also called for "more intense efforts" to boost North Korea's nuclear arsenal. The confirmation of the launch -- which the South Korean military had reported on Wednesday -- came with relations between the two Koreas at one of their lowest points ever. Diplomacy has stalled. Kim Jong Un has called for ramping up weapons deployment. This includes tactical nukes. (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

'Is it smuggled'? Kim Jong Un flaunts smartphone while electronics imports to North Korea remain banned

Smartphones have come a long way in the last two decades, from the days when Nokia was the undisputed king and owning a Blackberry was a status symbol, to a time when the iPhone shifted the focus to app-based touch screen phones.&nbsp;

These devices have truly transformed - they've gotten bigger, slimmer, faster and more powerful. The world saw a dramatic shift in smartphone trends in 2019 too.&nbsp;

Foldable phones arrived in 2019, and the segment is sure to grow in 2020. Many phones makers unveiled their versions of foldable phones.&nbsp;

Samsung unveiled the galaxy fold. Despite the initial hiccups due to a faulty design, the company managed to launch the phone. 
&nbsp; 
Chinese tech major Huawei also showcased its phone with a flexible screen. Even Motorola brought back its iconic Razr with a screen that folds.&nbsp;

Other companies such as Microsoft and Oppo didn’t lag either. Joining the race of foldable phones.&nbsp;

Before 2019 began, we were used to seeing phones with a dual-camera setup. But now, companies are taking phone cameras a notch higher.

Phone makers revised the rear camera arrangement, be it Samsung, Huawei, Oppo or Nokia, almost all leading players moved from a dual-camera setup to multi-cameras.

2019 also saw the launch of 5G phones, allowing people to enjoy much faster internet speeds. Companies such as Samsung, Huawei and LG introduced their 5G models.&nbsp;

Many other phone makers are also working on 5G handsets.

Smartphones have come a long way in the last two decades, from the days when Nokia was the undisputed king and owning a Blackberry was a status symbol, to a time when the iPhone shifted the focus to app-based touch screen phones.

Smartphones have come a long way in the last two decades, from the days when Nokia was the undisputed king and owning a Blackberry was a status symbol, to a time when the iPhone shifted the focus to app-based touch screen phones. These devices have truly transformed - they've gotten bigger, slimmer, faster and more powerful. The world saw a dramatic shift in smartphone trends in 2019 too. Foldable phones arrived in 2019, and the segment is sure to grow in 2020. Many phones makers unveiled their versions of foldable phones. Samsung unveiled the galaxy fold. Despite the initial hiccups due to a faulty design, the company managed to launch the phone. Chinese tech major Huawei also showcased its phone with a flexible screen. Even Motorola brought back its iconic Razr with a screen that folds. Other companies such as Microsoft and Oppo didn’t lag either. Joining the race of foldable phones. Before 2019 began, we were used to seeing phones with a dual-camera setup. But now, companies are taking phone cameras a notch higher. Phone makers revised the rear camera arrangement, be it Samsung, Huawei, Oppo or Nokia, almost all leading players moved from a dual-camera setup to multi-cameras. 2019 also saw the launch of 5G phones, allowing people to enjoy much faster internet speeds. Companies such as Samsung, Huawei and LG introduced their 5G models. Many other phone makers are also working on 5G handsets.

The transformation tale of mobile phones: How we evolved from Nokia 3310 to Samsung Galaxy Fold

Samsung, Huawei unveil future of technology with foldable phones

Huawei Technologies unveiled a $2,600 folding smartphone on Sunday which it said was primed for next-generation 5G mobile connections, even as the United States campaigns to bar the Chinese company from such networks over security concerns.

Huawei, the world’s second-largest smartphone vendor after Samsung, said it had taken the lead on developing phones for 5G - which promise super fast internet speeds for consumers and businesses - because it was also involved in developing the networks.

"This phone is not only for today for 5G but also for future 5G. On all the benchmarks you can see the performance, the speed is the fastest for 5G in the world," said Richard Yu, head of Huawei's consumer business group.

<img alt="Huawei Mate X" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="50c20e2d-76eb-4993-ba61-43753ea5c012" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%2815%29_1.jpg" />

<img alt="Huawei Mate X" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="fef2e69f-f1f7-41ca-874d-c005a5dfa4dc" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%2816%29_1.jpg" />

Speaking ahead of the mobile industry's biggest global event, which kicks of on Monday in Barcelona, Yu said the Huawei Mate X will have two back-to-back screens which unfold to become an eight-inch tablet display.

Yu said the Mate X would be able to download a 1-gigabyte movie in three seconds but also be priced at 2,299 euros ($2,607) when it goes on sale later this year, setting a new upper limit for consumer smartphones.

Samsung Electronics Co Ltd last week unveiled its own folding smartphone, priced at nearly $2,000, in a bid to top the technology of Apple Inc and Chinese rivals and reignite consumer interest amid slumping sales.

Huawei, which is also the world's biggest producer of telecoms equipment, is under intense scrutiny in the West over U.S.-led allegations of enabling Chinese state espionage, accusations which the company denies.

Huawei's chairman said on Sunday recent comments by U.S. President Donald Trump that the U.S. needed to get ahead in mobile communications through competition rather than seeking to block technology was "clear and correct".

Huawei Technologies unveiled a $2,600 folding smartphone on Sunday which it said was primed for next-generation 5G mobile connections, even as the United States campaigns to bar the Chinese company from such networks over security concerns.

Huawei Technologies unveiled a $2,600 folding smartphone on Sunday which it said was primed for next-generation 5G mobile connections, even as the United States campaigns to bar the Chinese company from such networks over security concerns. Huawei, the world’s second-largest smartphone vendor after Samsung, said it had taken the lead on developing phones for 5G - which promise super fast internet speeds for consumers and businesses - because it was also involved in developing the networks. "This phone is not only for today for 5G but also for future 5G. On all the benchmarks you can see the performance, the speed is the fastest for 5G in the world," said Richard Yu, head of Huawei's consumer business group. Speaking ahead of the mobile industry's biggest global event, which kicks of on Monday in Barcelona, Yu said the Huawei Mate X will have two back-to-back screens which unfold to become an eight-inch tablet display. Yu said the Mate X would be able to download a 1-gigabyte movie in three seconds but also be priced at 2,299 euros ($2,607) when it goes on sale later this year, setting a new upper limit for consumer smartphones. Samsung Electronics Co Ltd last week unveiled its own folding smartphone, priced at nearly $2,000, in a bid to top the technology of Apple Inc and Chinese rivals and reignite consumer interest amid slumping sales. Huawei, which is also the world's biggest producer of telecoms equipment, is under intense scrutiny in the West over U.S.-led allegations of enabling Chinese state espionage, accusations which the company denies. Huawei's chairman said on Sunday recent comments by U.S. President Donald Trump that the U.S. needed to get ahead in mobile communications through competition rather than seeking to block technology was "clear and correct".

Huawei breaks price ceiling with $2,600 folding 5G smartphone

foldable-phones

Foldable Phones, News on Foldable Phones, stories on Foldable Phones, articles on Foldable Phones, Foldable Phones stories at Wion, Foldable Phones news, Foldable Phones latest news