Would you buy a Trump-branded gold phone? If you can tolerate the sticker price of $499 and some dubious assembly claims, a phone from Donald Trump’s family business could be yours.
Last week, the Trump Organization, which is run by President Donald Trump’s eldest sons, announced Trump Mobile, its own mobile service plan and the plans for a “proudly American” “T1 Phone.”
Trump Mobile is new, but famous people lending their celebrity to a smaller phone carrier is not. But what makes Trump Mobile different is its bold claims of being designed and manufactured in the United States.
“This phone is essentially a licensing deal. The Trump Organization doesn’t design, manufacture or sell it; they’ve simply lent their name,” explained Tinglong Dai, a global supply chains expert at Johns Hopkins Carey Business School. “That makes the idea of leading a U.S.-based manufacturing effort even less credible.”
Trump Mobile is one of many growing mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) that pay the three big major phone carriers ― AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon ― to lease the use of their wireless networks.
Michael Levin is an analyst with Consumer Intelligence Research Partners, a firm that studies consumer behavior in the phone market. He expects this phone to mainly appeal “to MAGA loyalists that’ll buy anything that the Trump Organization sells, including cell phones.”
Levin said he’d be “shocked” if Trump Mobile users exceed 100,000 accounts. “It’s really not about mobile phones as much as it is ‘Here’s another thing that the Trump Organization, or others, can do to capitalize on our user base.’”
Before you consider signing up for a Trump Mobile plan ― whether out of Trump loyalty, curiosity or a desire to troll ― understand the difference between what Trump Mobile is marketing and what is likely to be real, because you might not be able to get your money back.
1. It’s not possible for this smartphone to be made right now in U.S., supply experts say.
The Trump Mobile website claims, in bold, that its upcoming T1 phone is “proudly made right here in the USA.”
A Trump Mobile spokesperson told HuffPost that production for the T1 phone is set to occur in facilities located Alabama, California and Florida, but Dai said it’s impossible for this kind of phone to be assembled here.
“It’s not plausible for a phone like the Trump Mobile T1 to be truly ‘made in the U.S.’ right now,” Dai explained. “At least according to the FTC [Federal Trade Commission] definition of Made in USA.”
That’s because the United States currently “lacks the infrastructure to manufacture key smartphone components such as display panels, memory chips and camera modules, which are almost entirely produced in Asia,” he said.
Some analysts have pointed out that the T1 phone’s product specifications bear a striking similarity to a Chinese-made phone.
In a podcast to discuss Trump Mobile, Eric Trump said that “eventually all the phones can be built in the United States of America.”
But Dai notes that it would take “lot of heavy lifting” to fulfill that promise, too.
“If the Trump Organization were serious ― and I have doubts they are ― about bringing smartphone production to the U.S., it would take five to 10 years,” he said. “That assumes major capital investment, a skilled labor force, and a functioning domestic supply chain. None of that currently exists at the necessary scale or speed.”
2. Prepare for more fees than what is being advertised.
In an apparent nod to Trump being both the 45th and 47th U.S. president, the Trump Mobile service plan is priced at $47.45 per month.
Trump Mobile’s site claims it has “unbeatable value,” but if you look at price comparison charts on the major three phone providers, you can also get prepaid carriers that offer unlimited talk, text and data for prices between $25 and $40 a month ― and if you use other MVNOs, you might be able to save even more.
It’s also likely going to be more than just $47.45 to use a Trump Mobile plan.
As several reporters who have tried preordering Trump Mobile have noticed, the actual cost is not what is being advertised ― it’s significantly higher. One Washington Post reporter faced an additional “plan telecom tax” of $17.25 per month, making the actual cost of Trump Mobile $64.70 a month.
3. The phones have not been shipped out yet.
On its website, Trump Mobile said the T1 Phone will be released “later this year,” and you can charge your credit card $100 today for the honor of pre-ordering the phone.
But customers do not know basic information, like which processor the phone will have. You cannot yet test the security settings of the Android 15 smartphone, the available preinstalled apps, or any other important product details you might want to try before paying for a $499 phone that you cannot get a refund for because “all sales are final and non-refundable” unless otherwise decided on a case-by-case basis, according to the phone’s terms and conditions.
You can, however, know that it will be colored gold.
So if you want to buy a gold-colored phone that signals your MAGA allegiance, Trump Mobile is for you. Trump’s family business will profit from your purchase, but if you want a phone plan or smartphone with a proven track record of working well for consumers, you have better options.