- Trump Mobile’s T1 phone still delayed
- May ship in March.
- But testing and certification results could delay it again.
The Trump Mobile T1 phone, that strange Android 15 device that inexplicably still has a 3.5mm headphone jack, may finally reach customers’ hands in March. This, according to a Trump Mobile customer service representative contacted by TechRadar.
That’s months later than originally promised and also not guaranteed. The same representative told us that the $499 phone is in the final stages of certification and field testing. The shipping date is based on it passing those tests and getting that certification, which likely means, at a minimum, FCC licenses for use in the US.
The news follows an already somewhat checkered past for the Trump Mobile T1 phone. Initially it was promised that it would be manufactured in the United States. However, practical considerations, such as the fact that most smartphone components are still manufactured outside the US, made this virtually impossible.
The site quietly changed the language to: “Proudly American Design: The T1YE “The phone isn’t just powerful, it comes to life here in the U.S. With American hands behind every device, we bring care, precision and trusted quality to every detail.”
That kind of confusing language sidesteps actual development, components, and even construction, but it manages to put the United States at the center of the operation.
In June, Trump Mobile began raising $100 per rose gold phone for pre-orders, but has since been silent on its development and delivery. The operator is apparently selling its “El Plan 47” cellular service, which can be used on other smartphones such as the renewed Samsung Galaxy S24 and the renewed iPhone 14 or iPhone 15, currently on sale through the site.
By the time the 6.25-inch T1 ships, it will be just a few months before Google introduces what is expected to be Android 17. An Android 15 T1 could soon feel like an antique. With so little information about the components, especially the mobile CPU, it’s unclear how well the T1 will support Android 17. There’s also no indication that it will have AI capabilities.
Analysis: A big problem?
If T1 ships, it might get a big “meh.” When we asked on social media about the phone, we received little response. This is not an iPhone, a Galaxy or a Pixel. Its main appeal might be if you really like fake gold or are a fan of the current president of the United States. In fact, this may be the first phone to require alignment with a particular political ideology.
Smartphones are generally not political devices, even if the machinations behind the components and rare earth minerals needed to create them can sometimes be (see someone’s search for Greenland). The T1 is therefore an unusual smartphone that may be hamstrung in the US, where a large portion of the potential market will dismiss it out of hand due to branding and political affiliation.
By the way, President Trump is not directly affiliated with Trump Mobile, even though the name and his well-known MAGA slogan appear on the phone’s apparent lock screen. Still, if the phone doesn’t ship or, worse, ships and it’s a terrible phone, that may reflect on it in some way, anyway.
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