The Trump Group has launched Trump Cell and plans to launch the T1, a smartphone that it says is “made in USA” on the identical time that the iPhone 17 will launch. The issue is, the cellphone was made in China.
Marking ten years after the launch of President Donald Trump’s unique presidential marketing campaign, the Trump Group has determined to launch its personal cell phone community. Dubbed Trump Cell, it’s a community that’s being promoted as an All-American service,” and closely leaning on the Trump model.
Trump Cell frames itself as a “next-generation wi-fi supplier,” with mentions of it delivering “top-tier connectivity” and “unbeatable worth.” All with a “customer-first” strategy and an “all-American service.”
This contains U.S. name facilities, in depth providers as a part of the plan, and a brand new smartphone, the T1.
Whereas the launch of a brand new cell phone community will definitely draw an viewers of Trump followers, it feels extra like a cash-in on the Trump model relatively than an actual try to tackle the U.S. cellular market.
The Trump Cell providing falls into two predominant choices, consisting of the cellphone plan itself and the smartphone. Neither look notably nice from a shopper standpoint.
And that smartphone that the Trump group claims is made within the US, is an affordable Chinese language android system, that they’re tripling the Amazon value of, slapping on new plastic, and calling it a day.
The 47 Plan
The 47 Plan, named after the truth that Trump is the forty seventh President of the U.S., is the principle providing for the community. Whereas it does supply a smartphone on the market, the bread and butter for a provider is the service.
Trump Cell is a cellular digital community operator (MVNO). It’ll probably work on three main U.S. carriers, leveraging the 5G networks and protection of AT&T, Verizon, and T-Cell.
What it’s not, is a brand new community. It resells AT&T, Verizon, and T-Cell community entry.
The $47.45 per 30 days, clearly one other presidential quantity reference, is a reasonably excessive value for a cellular service. However, there are guarantees of it going far past the everyday mobile service.
Trump Cell says it is going to present limitless discuss, texts, and knowledge, with the primary 20GB provided at “excessive pace.” These are quite common options of modern-day cellphone plans.
The free worldwide calling to over 100 nations is framed as a profit for households who recurrently name American navy bases.
Trump Cell SIM pack – Picture Credit score: Trump Cell
Going into the realm of prolonged providers, Trump Cell additionally touts “Gadget Safety,” however stops wanting saying what it’s, save for it not being insurance coverage. It’s being dealt with by a third-party supplier, however once more Trump Cell does not say what that might be.
There may be additionally included roadside help offered by Drive America. There’s additionally telehealth and prescription providers, once more dealt with by third-party suppliers.
It is a lot for Trump to supply as a part of a cellular plan, and at face worth it might justify the month-to-month payment. Nonetheless, the additional providers might trigger customers to incur charges in the event that they use them past a fundamental degree. There’s a full lack of disclosure on the web site about extra charges, so it is exhausting to inform how a lot, or how typically.
The location does say which you can carry your individual cellphone over to the community, with a SIM card equipped by the corporate. It’s unclear if eSIMs are being supported.
Since current-gen iPhones haven’t got a SIM card slot and depend on eSIM help with networks, this might rule out Apple customers till that help is added.
On the time of reporting, Trump Cell shouldn’t be listed on Apple’s eSIM help web page.
T1 takes on iPhone 17, possibly
The fixed calls and stress from the administration of President Donald Trump for Apple to make its iPhone in the US are properly documented. It is due to this fact apt that Trump Cell can be providing its personal smartphone to shoppers as properly.
The T1 is described within the Trump Cell press launch as a tool that’s “designed and in-built the US.” This nationalistic declare can be a shot towards Apple, which frequently makes use of the phrase “Designed by Apple in California,” adopted by an announcement concerning the telephones being assembled in India or China normally.
Clad in a gold-colored casing, the T1 is claimed to have a 6.8-inch Punch-Gap AMOLED show, with an under-screen fingerprint sensor and an “AI Face Unlock.”
All of those components will must be imported for the cellphone. There aren’t any home AMOLED show producers, and the VCSEL used for face unlock applied sciences can be produced abroad.
Trump Cell T1 – Picture Credit score: Trump Cell
Operating on Android 15, it’s listed as having 256GB of inside storage, expandable by a reminiscence card slot, and 12GB of reminiscence.
On the again are a 50MP predominant digicam however surprisingly low-resolution depth and macro cameras at 2MP, however the entrance has a 16MP selfie digicam. The digicam modules must be imported too for any form of US manufacture.
Battery capability is claimed to be a beneficiant 5,000mAh, charged utilizing USB-C with 20W of quick charging. That USB Kind-C port can be restricted to sluggish USB 2.0 speeds, and is joined by a 3.5mm headphone jack. These are typical for the value level.
The T1 can be seemingly going to be an try to spoil the September launch of the iPhone 17 vary, with Trump Cell planning to ship it by August.
The worth of $499 with a $100 down fee for pre orders, makes it a mid-range system price-wise. The Amazon sale value on the system is about $180.
A reskinned import?
Whereas there may be lots of bravado that will probably be US-made, it took social media about an hour to search out out the place the cellphone really comes from.
In a publish to X by analyst Max Weinbach, it appears that evidently the T1 carefully resembles the T-Cell REVVL 7 Professional 5G. The specs of the show and the odd digicam resolutions match up with the T-Cell system, together with different particulars.
A tweet by Max Weinbach concerning the Trump Cell T1 – Picture Credit score: @MaxWineback/X.com
That smartphone is made by Wingtech, owned by the Chinese language-owned producer Luxshare. The T-Cell model is believed to be in-built Kiaxing, Wuxi, or Kunming, in China.
The T1 seems to be a reskinned model of the REVVL 7 Professional 5G, in a brand new enclosure and with barely moved round cameras. This smartphone usually prices $250 at full retail, and even goes right down to $169 on sale like it’s on Amazon proper now.
For the Amazon value, you do not get the gold-colored trim, in fact.
The T1 cellphone could also be modded within the USA. It actually wasn’t designed or assembled within the US.
Made in America?
The promotion surrounding Trump Cell and the T1 actually paint the operation as a US-centric strategy, together with for manufacturing the T1. The press launch particularly mentions the T1 as “proudly designed and in-built the US.”
A press launch’s point out of Trump Cell’s T1 being designed and constructed within the U.S. – Picture Credit score: Trump Group
In interviews, Eric Trump has additionally repeatedly talked about the manufacture of smartphones. “You are gonna have telephones which are made proper right here in the US of America,” he advised Fox Enterprise.
On stage for the launch, he declared “Making telephones in America, it is about time we carry merchandise again to our nice nation.”
The truth that it’s a reskinned smartphone however, the repeated declare of the T1 being designed and made in the US is one which needs to be additional questioned. The knowledge offered concerning the smartphone is lacking fairly just a few key areas, and goes towards the same old anticipated price of manufacture, whether it is really a US-made product.
For a begin, the specs record is lacking the outline of the chip that powers the cellular system. Despite the fact that Qualcomm, the principle U.S. chip firm for cellular processors, relies in the US, it nonetheless outsources chip manufacturing to international third events, reminiscent of TSMC in Taiwan.
TSMC does have a manufacturing facility in the US, however that’s nonetheless far from being an enough supply of chips, even for Trump Cell.
The plain logic right here is that the chip is being ignored as a result of it is not a part made in the US. This may be stated of the display screen, and the digicam modules as properly.
That results in one other subject with the claims of it being made in the US. As AppleInsider has repeatedly mentioned, Apple can’t simply carry manufacturing of the iPhone to the US with out vital expenditure, in addition to years of planning with its many provide chain companions.
Then there’s the problem of someway increase a talented workforce within the U.S., to a talent degree of what’s accessible from staff in China. Or higher robots.
All of those issues that apply to Apple additionally apply to Trump Cell’s T1, besides it does not have the huge baggage Apple must cope with to do the identical factor.
Assembling smartphones in the US is feasible, however on an especially small scale. There are producers reminiscent of Purism who design and assemble smartphones totally in the US.
They don’t supply all of their components from US producers, although. Cameras, RAM, storage, processors, and screens are all imported.
So assembling a smartphone within the US shouldn’t be utterly unattainable, simply troublesome. And by definition, it must be in low volumes.
Trump Cell would nonetheless should supply the parts earlier than assembling them in the US. Add in that these parts would ideally should be sourced from inside the U.S. as properly, and it turns into a really costly operation.
Presumably one which on a per-smartphone foundation would depart little to no revenue from the sub-$500 promoting value. Provided that Trump companies wish to make a revenue, one thing has to present to make the T1 for $500.
We consider that the system can be assembled and designed within the US. We don’t assume it is going to make the Trump Group’s deadline.
Moreover, the components the corporate might want to assemble the cellphone will must be imported. They are going to be topic to the tariffs that the administration utilized, until some form of particular deal is carved out by the Trump administration, making a $500 value level producing a revenue unlikely.
So, until there may be some actual provide chain magic occurring, and there doesn’t seem like any at this second, it is extraordinarily unlikely that this can be a wholly U.S.-produced smartphone.
Trump Cell is clearly aiming for the Trump fan vote with the T1. What they’re going to get from their cash is a mid-rate Android system that will not dwell as much as the plastic shine of its golden exterior.
Up to date on June 16, 2025 at 1:04 P.M. Japanese: Added dialogue of reskinning from social media.
