Trump Mobile’s T1: A Golden Promise Meets a 2026 Reality Check
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Trump Mobile’s T1 smartphone, the $499 golden iPhone competitor, had experts skeptical from the beginning. Officially announced last June, the T1 was originally slated for an August or September release date. That time has now long come and gone.
For a $100 deposit, interested buyers could — and still can — secure their T1. As September passed, the Trump Mobile website was updated to reflect a new promise that the phone would be released “later this year.” Obviously, it is 2026. There’s no T1 phone. TrumpMobile.com continues to advertise a release date of “later this year,” but it’s become less clear which “year” they’re talking about. Prospective buyers and experts alike are doubting if we’ll ever see a Trump phone.
The T1 was initially touted as being made in the US. Over time, that promise shifted to being “Designed with American values in mind.” Today, the T1 is advertised as having an “American-Proud Design” and “…brought to life right here in the USA.”
Industry insiders aren’t surprised by these changed claims. Building a smartphone is difficult. To label something “Made in the USA,” the FTC mandates and enforces that “all or virtually all” of a product’s significant parts, processing, and labor must be of US origin. Naturally, industry insiders questioned Trump Mobile’s ability to overcome the same complex supply chain and logistics challenges giants like Apple have wrestled with for decades.
While the status of the T1 phone remains to be seen, Trump Mobile’s phone plan, the 47 Plan, is available to customers. Those looking to make the switch can use their existing phone or purchase a refurbished phone from Trump Mobile while they wait for the T1.
YouTuber Stetson Doggett tested the 47 Plan and shared his painful experience. It took him five days to get on the plan and he effectively lost access to his phone number in the process and was assigned a random new one instead. The 47 Plan includes 20 GB of high-speed data for $47.95 a month, but Doggett found that taxes and fees in some regions can drive that total to nearly $62 — an exceptionally high price tag for an MVNO.
Doggett also found that once the initial 20 GB is used, Trump Mobile does not throttle speeds, but shuts mobile data off entirely, breaking features like MMS and RCS, and doing so without prior warning or instructions on how to secure additional data.
The administration of a mobile phone plan and building a smartphone is complex. It’s possible Trump Mobile is able to deliver a smoother experience and even a unique smartphone. Before you take the leap, perhaps it’s worth waiting for them to work out the kinks and save yourself the frustration. If Trump Mobile ultimately can’t pull through with the T1, they may still continue to offer the 47 Plan with only refurbished smartphones available for purchase.
