The T1 "Trump" Phone won't launch in time to fight the iPhone 17 release, and more than a week after debut, claims of the device being made in America have been scrubbed from the website.
The so-called "Trump Phone" was announced by the Trump Organization on the 10th anniversary of Donald Trump announcing he was running for president. It is being marketed alongside Trump Mobile, a T-Mobile-powered MVNO, and was originally called a smartphone that is "made in America."
It was quickly proven that the T1 Phone was not only not made in America, it was likely a re-skin of the REVVL 7 Pro 5G, a $169 smartphone that's made in China and that has faced recalls.
Subscribe to AppleInsider on YouTubeSubscribe to AppleInsider on YouTubeThe embarrassment continues as the Trump Mobile website has removed all mentions of "made in America." Instead, it is now filled with unspecific platitudes like "proudly American" and "American hands behind every device."
Some of the specs have been altered too, showing a smaller 6.25-inch display and no mention of RAM where it previously suggested 128GB. There's still a photoshopped image instead of a real photo of the device, so there's no telling what it actually looks like.
It is still priced at $500, which is more than double the device was very clearly previously based on. The Trump Mobile plan of $47.45 per month remains nearly twice as expensive as other MVNO plans with the same rates.
Trump in name only, apparently
The initial press tour from Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump was light on details, but "made in America" turned into "eventually" pretty quickly, with the Trump children stating it was an aspirational goal. The press release is still up where it mentions "made in America."
There is now a disclaimer that the T1 Phone and Trump Mobile are both paid licenses and not actually a part of the Trump Organization.
There's been some debate about the President's involvement with the smartphone beyond the use of his name, slogans, love of gold, and other references. He hasn't spoken publicly about it, though he did recently suggest that he doesn't "believe in telephones."
Q: What can you do in Washington that you couldn't do in Canada?
TRUMP: Just be a little bit, ah, I think more well-versed. Not having to use telephones so much, because I don't believe in telephones, because people like you listen to them.
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— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) Jun 17, 2025 at 11:34 AM
Even though the phone and mobile plan are using the Trump name through a license, that remains profitable for the Trump Organization. President Trump isn't directly in charge, but his sons are.
However, President Trump is still in control of the trust and has the ability to make decisions that affect the company.
In spite of the clear lies around the product, the doubling of prices for junk hardware and middling cellular services, it will prove popular to the Trump devout. However, the unspecific delays in shipping the device could be a bad sign that the T1 Phone may eventually be abandoned as a project.
In any case, if there was any danger of Apple losing iPhone sales to the hoards of Trump supporters willing to buy the plastic gold, that danger has shifted beyond iPhone season in the fall. While the Trump Phone has moved back, iPhone 17 will be revealed in September.
