Trump Mobile executives have shown off a handset they say is a near-production model of the T1 phone to The Verge, according to a report released Friday afternoon. Among other appearance changes, the smartphone has a completely different camera array design than the one still shown on the T1 purchase page.
The Verge says it spoke via video call with two Trump Mobile executives, who held up the phone so it could be seen. The interview follows doubts about whether the phone will ever be released, after its second advertised launch date of the end of 2025 came and went without any status updates.
As of Feb. 6, the phone’s web page still lists it as being released “later this year,” which is the same thing it said last year.
Trump Mobile launched in June 2025 with a $47.45-a-month mobile phone plan, and currently sells refurbished Apple and Samsung phones ranging from $369 to $629.
The Trump phone, initially announced to be made in the US, was supposed to launch in August 2025. But when it became obvious that domestic large-scale smartphone manufacturing would not be possible, Trump Mobile dropped the “made in the US” claim.
Now, the site simply calls the phone “Proudly American” without specifying what that means for a device manufactured overseas.
The site is still accepting $100 deposits on the phone. The website claims it will have a 6.25-inch punch-hole AMOLED screen, a 50MP main rear camera with two 2MP lenses, a 16MP front-facing camera, a 5,000-mAh battery, a fingerprint sensor, face unlock and 256GB of expandable storage.
According to the model that The Verge saw on its video call this week, however, the screen looks a little larger and has a waterfall display with curved edges, as well as a vertical camera array. That one will reportedly run on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 7-series processor, feature 512GB of storage and include a 50MP front-facing camera. According to the report, the T1 logo will also disappear before launch, though the phone will keep the American flag imagery.
It’ll also now cost more. Those who have already put down a $100 deposit are locked into the $499 total price, but everyone else who wants this golden Trump phone will pay an unknown amount more. It will be under $1,000, the report says.
According to the Trump Mobile executives speaking to The Verge, the phone has been delayed because the company decided to take its time and skip the “first initial entry-level phone that we were going to kind of introduce and be quick to the market.” They told The Verge it’s being made in a “favored nation” with “final assembly” in Florida. It’s unclear what qualifies another nation as “favored” to handle most of the assembly of the T1 phone.
There’s no word yet on the T1 phone’s launch date, but its sellers are reportedly eyeing a March release window.
You can read the full report on The Verge, including photos of the phone as it currently looks. Trump Mobile did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
