On June 16, the Trump Organization, the private business company founded by the president of the United States, announced a new business venture, called T1 Mobile.
The press release promises “a transformational, new cellular service designed to deliver top-tier connectivity, unbeatable value, and all-American service for our nation’s hardest-working people.”
To commemorate the tenth anniversary of the launch of Donald Trump’s first presidential campaign in June of 2015, Trump Mobile is available through all three major cellular carriers, at a price point of $47.45 per month, likely because Trump is the 47th and 45th president.
Donald Trump’s name is not listed in the release, although it does feature quotes from his two oldest sons, Donald Jr. and Eric, both of whom are executive vice presidents of the Trump Organization.
As its flagship hardware product, Trump Mobile will also offer the “T1 Phone,” which is set to arrive in August, at a price point of $499, and pre-orders have opened for the device.
The idea is to market the product directly to the percentage of politicians who show unflinching loyalty towards all things Trump, at a time when there are few safeguards in place regarding a sitting president profiting while in office, as seen with his lucrative sale of a meme coin.
“Trump is a strong brand name that over time has moved beyond real estate,” Jeff Kagan, an industry analyst who follows the wireless industry, told TWICE. “Looking at the numbers, even if half the country is a Trump supporter, that’s an enormous market share.”
The T1 is “a sleek, gold smartphone engineered for performance and proudly designed and built in the United States for customers who expect the best from their mobile carrier.”
That last claim drew some attention later in June, when The Verge reported that Trump Mobile had dropped any mention from its website that the T1 would be made in the United States. For one thing, it had removed a large banner from the website stating that “ T1 is ‘MADE IN THE USA.’” Also, the release timing has been updated from “September” to “later this year.”
The preorder site now says the phone is “designed with American values in mind,” while the website also touts “American-proud design,” that the phone is “brought to life right here in the USA,” and that there were “American hands behind every device.”
This is perhaps inspired by Apple’s packaging, stating that its products, designed outside of the U.S., are “designed by Apple in California.”
Indeed, the launch came after Trump spent several weeks publicly pressuring Apple to start manufacturing the iPhone in the United States, even threatening in May to impose a 25 percent tariff on iPhones made outside the country.
“The Trump Mobile T1 smartphone is Android,” Kagan said. “That means since there are two Operating Systems, half the market is a potential buyer. That also means since there are two political sides, half of that market is a potential buyer.”
“Bottom line, roughly 25% of the entire US population is a potential marketplace for the Trump Mobile T1. Twenty-five percent is still a huge market if they can crack the code on marketing in the wireless world.”
The Verge also noted that the screen appeared to have gotten smaller since the original announcement, dropping from 6.78 inches to 6.25, indicating that perhaps the company had switched suppliers.
According to its specs, the T1 Phone also offers something the current iPhones do not: a 3.5mm headphone jack.
“Success is not a guarantee,” Kagan added. “That being said, it doesn’t have to be a top seller. The Trump Watch does not compete with Rolex, but for the right user, they love it. I think it’s the same for the Trump Mobile T1. Right out of the gates, it will likely be a hit.”
While the Trump Organization hosts the announcement, it includes a disclaimer that “Trump Mobile, its products and services are not designed, developed, manufactured, distributed or sold by The Trump Organization or any of their respective affiliates or principals.”
The Trump Phone is not, however, the first-ever conservative alternative to the incumbent smartphone manufacturers. That would be the Freedom Phone, which debuted in early 2001. That was a time of great mistrust of “Big Tech” on the part of the political right, at least before Trump made efforts to bring Silicon Valley into the Republican tent throughout the 2024 campaign.
The Freedom Phone, which was not produced with the direct endorsement or involvement of Donald Trump or his family, was endorsed by conservative influencers like Candace Owens and Roger Stone. It came preloaded with “Some of the most popular banned & unbanned conservative sites & apps,” like Parler, Rumble, and Newsmax.
That phone, however, was merely a re-skinned version of the Chinese-made budget smartphone known as the Umidigi A9, one that typically went for a fraction of the Freedom Phone’s $500 price tag.
By early 2023, the Daily Beast reported at the time, the product had been a “hit,” but the backers of the Freedom Phone had fallen out with one another, although the product’s website still lists it for sale.
