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Is the Trump-branded T1 phone vaporware? Trump Mobile, the carrier licensing the president’s name, initially promised to release a phone in August or September before shifting the timeline to October. But it’s now Oct. 31, and the golden phone is nowhere to be found.
The Trump Mobile site and social media pages have been oddly silent about the T1’s launch date. Trump Mobile didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. However, a customer support agent tells PCMag the phone is expected to launch in late November or early December. (For now, the web page for the T1 says the phone will arrive “later this year” while offering interested consumers the chance to preorder with a $100 deposit.)
(Credit: TrumpMobile.com)
In August, Trump Mobile posted a new picture of the T1, which appeared to be a Photoshop of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra in a Spigen case. Trump Mobile has since deleted the image.
The customer support agent also attributed the delay to Trump Mobile’s efforts to develop the phone in the US. The carrier originally said the product would be “proudly made right here in the USA.” But in June, the carrier’s website dropped the phrasing for more vague language that currently says “it’s brought to life right here in the USA.”
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At the time, a spokesperson for Trump Mobile told PCMag that the T1 phones are still “proudly being made in America. Speculation to the contrary is simply inaccurate. We’re excited to launch the phones later this year.”
Trump Mobile previously said it planned to manufacture the device in Alabama, California, and Florida. However, experts are skeptical that it can build a smartphone entirely in the US and sell it for $499, since most components and handset manufacturing are done in Asia. One California company, Purism, has created a mostly US-manufactured phone, but it costs $1,999.
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About Our Expert
Michael Kan
Senior Reporter
Experience
I’ve been a journalist for over 15 years. I got my start as a schools and cities reporter in Kansas City and joined PCMag in 2017, where I cover satellite internet services, cybersecurity, PC hardware, and more. I’m currently based in San Francisco, but previously spent over five years in China, covering the country’s technology sector.
Since 2020, I’ve covered the launch and explosive growth of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service, writing 600+ stories on availability and feature launches, but also the regulatory battles over the expansion of satellite constellations, fights with rival providers like AST SpaceMobile and Amazon, and the effort to expand into satellite-based mobile service. I’ve combed through FCC filings for the latest news and driven to remote corners of California to test Starlink’s cellular service.
I also cover cyber threats, from ransomware gangs to the emergence of AI-based malware. Earlier this year, the FTC forced Avast to pay consumers $16.5 million for secretly harvesting and selling their personal information to third-party clients, as revealed in my joint investigation with Motherboard.
I also cover the PC graphics card market. Pandemic-era shortages led me to camp out in front of a Best Buy to get an RTX 3000. I’m now following how President Trump’s tariffs will affect the industry. I’m always eager to learn more, so please jump in the comments with feedback and send me tips.
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