When Trump Mobile updated its website in April for the next iteration — new renders, new logo, rewritten specs — it was already the fourth version of the T1 Phone smartphone in less than a year. The release date is missing again.
What Changed This Time
The new T1 Phone received a 6.78-inch AMOLED display with a 120 Hz refresh rate, a 50 MP front camera, and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 series processor. On the back panel — an oval block with three cameras, Trump Mobile branding, and a clearer American flag at the bottom. The gold tint became darker, and the T1 logo disappeared.
The price remains around $499 (announced at the launch in June 2025), but the final amount "may exceed the initially stated price," as the manufacturer itself warns. For now, the website only accepts a $100 deposit.
Timeline of Promises
Trump Mobile announced on June 16, 2025 at Trump Tower — the president's sons Donald Jr. and Eric chose the date as the 10th anniversary of Donald Trump Sr.'s presidential campaign announcement. Initially, the smartphone was supposed to be manufactured exclusively in the USA — but just a week later, these words disappeared from the website after analysts pointed out that there are no manufacturing facilities in the country for this.
The planned September 2025 release was pushed to "later that year," then to the first quarter of 2026. Eventually, 2025 passed without the phone. According to Wikipedia, representatives of Trump Mobile's support service explained the delays by "government shutdown" — despite the fact that the T1 Phone has nothing to do with the federal budget.
"American" Phone with a Chinese Heart
Several independent analysts and publications, including Engadget, pointed out: the T1 Phone is almost certainly a rebranded version of the Wingtech Revvl 7 Pro 5G — a Chinese device worth around $200, which T-Mobile sells in the USA. The irony is that T-Mobile itself is the basic infrastructure for Trump Mobile's MVNO operator.
"The FTC has very strict rules regarding labeling and country of origin. You can't just slap [Made in America] on a cheap Chinese phone"
Todd Weaver, CEO of Purism — the only American company that can legally use this marking for a smartphone
The device passed FCC certification and is awaiting certification from T-Mobile — according to earlier forecasts, by mid-March 2026. But March has passed.
For Whom and Why
Democrats, ethics organizations, and media critics responded to Trump Mobile mostly skeptically: the project blurs the line between the president's private business and his public status. Some congressmen demanded the FTC investigate the company's marketing claims.
From a business perspective, the scheme is already working: $100 from each pre-order is real money right now, regardless of whether the phone ever appears. Notebookcheck notes that the launch of pre-orders in June 2025 "was successful" — despite the fact that buyers have not received what was promised.
If the T1 Phone finally goes on sale, the key question is not about specs: will Trump Mobile reveal the actual manufacturer of the device — and how then will the claimed "American" product look against the backdrop of the Trump administration's own trade protectionism?
