Donald Trump and his family have increasingly expanded their business ventures beyond real estate and media into tech and digital services.
One of the latest projects is Trump Mobile, a wireless service and smartphone brand linked to Trump’s sons, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump.
Now, the company’s much-discussed T1 smartphone has finally started reaching pre-order customers after months of delays, but not without controversy.
The gold-coloured $499 Android smartphone, marketed heavily around patriotism and American manufacturing, is no longer being promoted as “Made in the USA” on Trump Mobile’s official website.
That change has triggered criticism online, especially after observers also spotted what appears to be an inaccurate American flag design on the back of the phone.
‘Made in USA’ Messaging Quietly Disappears
When Trump Mobile first unveiled the T1 smartphone in June 2025, the company strongly promoted the device as being “Made in the USA,” according to reports from major American outlets.
However, the branding language has now reportedly changed to the softer phrase: “designed with American values in mind.”
The shift quickly drew attention because the phone’s American-made identity had been one of its biggest marketing points.
According to Trump Mobile CEO Pat O’Brien, the phones are “assembled” in the United States and use components “primarily manufactured in America.”
Still, several technology experts remain unconvinced.
Tech Analysts Speak On Trump’s Phone Design
Tech analysts and repair experts told multiple outlets that the T1 closely resembles the HTC U24 Pro, a smartphone manufactured in Taiwan.
“It looks physically very similar, and that matches with what we’ve been told so far,” Shahram Mokhtari, an engineer at tech repair company iFixit, told NBC News.
Tech publication The Verge also reported that the device likely appears to be a modified HTC U24 Pro.
According to reports, the Trump branding appears four times on the handset itself.
The Independent said it had contacted the Trump Organization for comment regarding the similarities.
Social Media Reacts
Another detail that sparked online discussion was the American flag graphic printed on the back of the phone.
Critics pointed out that the design appears to contain 11 stripes instead of the traditional 13 stripes representing the original American colonies.
“The 13 stripes represent the 13 colonies that broke away from British rule to fight for independence, so you probably shouldn’t just lop two of them off,” wrote The Verge’s Dominic Preston.
Others mocked the design issue on social media.
“[A]ctually kind of hilarious (& sad!) that the Trump phone has 11 stripes on it (actual flag has 13),” fintech entrepreneur Sheel Mohnot posted on X.
Meanwhile, Melanie D’Arrigo, executive director of a New York health advocacy group, criticised the product more broadly.
“An overpriced, outdated phone, preloaded with propaganda that is no longer ‘made in the USA,’ is the perfect metaphor for Trump’s Republican Party,” she said.
Phone Ships After Nine-Month Delay
The T1 smartphone had originally been expected to launch in August 2025, but repeated delays led many critics to question whether the product would ever officially arrive.
After nearly nine months, the device has now begun shipping to select pre-order customers and media reviewers.
“We tested the Trump Mobile phone. It was 9 months late, comes pre-loaded with Truth Social, and is no longer ‘Made in the USA,’” NBC News wrote while summarising its early review on social media.
Despite the criticism, Trump Mobile says the delays helped improve the final product.
O’Brien defended the launch timeline, saying the wait “was worth it in our minds as we are delivering an amazing product.”
Pricing
To reserve the T1 smartphone, customers are required to place a refundable $100 deposit and join a waiting list for the $499 device, which is reportedly being sold at a “promotional price.”
The mobile plan itself costs $47.45 per month.
Apart from the T1, Trump Mobile also sells additional devices, including refurbished smartphones from Samsung and Apple, while also allowing users to bring their own phones onto the network.
The controversy surrounding Trump Mobile is not entirely new.
Earlier this year, a group of Democratic senators led by Elizabeth Warren reportedly urged the Federal Trade Commission to investigate the company over concerns about potentially misleading advertising tied to prepaid deposits and questions surrounding the phone’s “Made in USA” claims.
Now, with the phone finally arriving in customers’ hands, scrutiny around its manufacturing, branding, and political messaging appears far from over.
Also Read: Trump Mobile’s T1 Smartphone Reportedly Gets Another Major Redesign
