The first details of the new Trump-branded phone are starting to come out. According to sources, the gold-colored smartphone, much like an iPhone, which will be put on the market at a cost of $499, will be resoundingly manufactured in China.
The phone, dubbed “T1,” was unveiled by the president’s sons, Eric and Donald Jr. with the promise that it would be produced entirely in the United States. However, according to rumors, they quickly had to backtrack, probably because of the costs that “all-American” production would require.
The unlimited talk, text, and data plan is called the “47 plan” and the monthly charge will be $47.45, both referencing Donald Trump’s run as the 47th and 45th US president.
“Eventually, all the phones can be built in the United States of America,” Eric Trump, the president’s second-born son told right-wing podcaster Ben Shapiro. “We have to bring manufacturing back to America. So, our ethos is, ‘Built for America by Americans. Do it cheaper. Do it better.’”
To date, none of the major smartphones out there are designed in the U.S., as was also revealed recently when Trump threatened to impose high tariffs on tech companies that manufacture their devices in Asia, such as Apple.
Only one company makes smartphones in the United States: California-based Purism, whose Liberty phones are sold at a prohibitive price of $1,999. Excluding the chassis from China, all components of the phone are made and assembled in the U.S., including the operating system software, which is developed in-house.
According to the company’s CEO, it is virtually impossible that the Trump team will be able to produce a smartphone entirely in the U.S. and then sell it for “only” $499.
The first “T1s” are expected to be delivered to buyers starting in August. However, as revealed by “Apple Insider,” contrary to the president’s son’s claim, the smartphone “was neither designed nor assembled in the U.S.” The Trump Organization, for its part, had told the Wall Street Journal that production of the new phone would take place in “Alabama, California and Florida.”
Other reports suggest that the company run by the president’s sons made several mistakes in launching the device, due in part to a website that was not up to snuff. 404 Media reported that an attempt to preorder the device resulted in a $100 down charge on the credit card of those who went ahead with the purchase.
The T1 will have a 6.8-inch display, slightly larger than Apple’s iPhone 16 pro Max. It also boasts a bright AMOLED screen, a refresh rate of 120 Hz, and a battery capacity greater than that of any iPhone.
