What do you think a North Korean smartphone would be like?

Why do you think the North Korean government is letting people have smartphones?

North Korea may have food shortages but the government has made it possible for its people to have a smartphone.

North Korea likes to boast of it does need the outside world but the new gadget appears to have been made in China.

The phone is called the Pyongyang 2425. It has an eight-core processor, has facial recognition technology and can be charged wirelessly.

But it can’t connect to foreign WiFi and won't even let users open photos and ringtones that come on the phone when new.

But users can connect to 'Mirae' WiFi. This allows them to catch up on propaganda from anywhere.

South Korean news service Daily NK has acquired one of the new phones. They checked its serial number and found it was made by a Chinese manufacturer.

Experts say the phones were probably imported from China and then North Korean software was installed.

North Korea might have a mutual understanding with the phone manufacture they would replace the software said one person from Daily NK.

Photos of the new gadget showed that apps for learning Chinese and English and a government-approved encyclopedia and a weather app can be installed.

There's also a library app, which looks like the old Apple Books so users can get North Korean sanctioned reading material.

Before North Koreans were not able to download apps themselves and had to go into physical shops where technicians installed them.

"The Pyongyang 2425 comes with enhanced features, that many customers love," boasted one propaganda news agency.

"Its eight-core CPU has increased the processing speed by 150% and the touchscreen experience has become smoother.

"Facial recognition features use an infrared camera that allows users to unlock the screen even in dark places without having to place their fingers or type in a password."

Approximately 40% of North Koreans use smartphones, according to research done by the North-East Asia Community ICT Forum.

Propaganda suggests the phones are used to play games, read books, listen to music, do karaoke, learn to cook, and even to improve farming.

Try to guess the meaning of the words in bold and match them with their closest meaning from the choices in the right. Some of the answers are very close and have similar meaning. The meaning of these words is how they are used in the reading. Some of these words have different meanings in the dictionary depending on how they are used.

 The answers are below the table.

A=7, B=1, C=8, D=5, E=6, F=3, G=4, H=2

Some example sentences using the new words or phrases from the meaning of how they are used in the reading to help you understand better.

1. They won every game and are now boasting they are the best.

2. Let’s go to the technology expo and see the latest phone and other gadgets.

3. I’m sorry, I can’t come, I need to catch up on my homework.

4. There was a lot of government propaganda that people in Cuba had no freedom. But it was hard to know if it was true.

5. LG has acquired the smaller technology company for a cheap price.

6. My husband and I have a mutual understanding that we will stop drinking alcohol on Monday to Friday each week.

7. Turn off your phones; they are sanctioned during the theatre play.

8. That operation really enhances your beauty.

Some questions using the new words/phrases. Try to use the words/phrases in your answer.

1. How has your smartphone enhanced your life?

2. Why do you think some people have to boast about themselves?

3. Describe a gadget you really like.

4. Do you use your smartphone too much? Does it stop you or others you know from catching up on important things they need to do?

5. Give some examples of propaganda a government uses. What propaganda did you government use in the past?

6. What technology company do you like? Would you like to acquire shares in that company? What one of their products would you like to acquire?

7. What mutual agreement have decided in the past with a boy/girlfriend, teacher, parent, child or other person?

8. Do you think smartphone use should be sanctioned in school classrooms? Why or why not?