This post is automatically translated with LLM. The translation content has NOT been reviewed and may contain errors.
North Korea developed "independently researched" Android phones, and even created Samjiyon tablets targeting foreign tourists.
Where there are products for sale, curious buyers will emerge. And where there are buyers, resellers follow after they've had their fun. On November 7, 2013, a North Korean Samjiyon tablet appeared on the renowned international auction site eBay, with a starting bid of $4.15.
Reportedly, the auction account was Canadian with a shipping address in Yanji—right on the North Korean border. It's unclear whether a Canadian was temporarily staying in China after visiting North Korea, or if a Chinese resident used some unusual methods.
Regardless of the seller's identity, this tablet—though slightly downgraded with a 1GHz CPU (originally 1.2GHz), 800x480 screen resolution (originally 1024x768 on the same 7-inch display), and 4GB internal storage (previously available in 8GB/16GB variants)—saw its price soar to 200 retail price, proving Americans' keen interest.