What a YouTuber discovered inside North Korea’s Samtaesung 8 phone will shock you, even typing ‘brother’ is risky

Courtesy: YouTube screengrab/Arun Maini

A rare smartphone smuggled out of North Korea is giving the world a shocking look at how tightly the country controls its citizens. At first glance, the phones look like ordinary budget models, but inside they are built for surveillance and censorship. Two of the devices examined include the mysterious Haeyang 701 and the Samtaesung 8, the latter being North Korea’s own version of Samsung.

Tech YouTuber Arun Maini, who tested these devices, discovered something startling. When he typed the simple word “brother,” the phone immediately flashed a warning. Other harmless words are also restricted or automatically replaced with state-approved terms. On some devices, typing “South Korea” instantly changes to “puppet state.” The censorship is not hidden. It is right in the keyboard itself.

But the biggest concern is what happens in the background. These phones silently take screenshots every few minutes. Users cannot see them or delete them, but authorities can access them anytime. This means every message typed, every recipe searched, every photo viewed and every screen opened is recorded by the system.

There is no real internet on these devices either. They connect only to a closed national network filled with government-approved sites. On the surface, the phones look modern and functional. In reality, they are tools designed to monitor behaviour and limit outside information.

Experts say this level of control is a deliberate part of life in North Korea. By controlling words people type and secretly tracking their activity, the government ensures that even a basic smartphone becomes an extension of state power.

The discovery of these phones offers a rare glimpse into what everyday technology looks like under such restrictions. Imagine not being able to type common words or knowing your phone is quietly taking screenshots of everything you do. For North Koreans, this is normal. For the rest of the world, it is a disturbing reminder of how technology can be used not to empower people, but to control them.