The Trump Mobile T1 was intended to be manufactured in the United States. Instead, it is a Taiwanese phone that features a gold finish.

      **TL;DR** The Trump Mobile T1 is essentially a rebranded HTC U24 Pro in a gold finish, priced at $499, not manufactured in the US, and running outdated security patches. Bloomberg advises against purchasing it.

      The Trump Mobile T1 has arrived, but it falls short of expectations. When Donald Trump’s sons unveiled it at Trump Tower a year ago, they promised a gold-colored phone resembling an iPhone, proudly crafted in the US. What was actually released is a rebranded HTC U24 Pro, a midrange device from Taiwan introduced in mid-2024, which Bloomberg's reviewer notes looks “more mustard yellow than gold.”

      An iFixit teardown showed that the T1 closely resembles the HTC U24 Pro in terms of hardware. It features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 processor, 12 GB of RAM, and 512 GB of storage. The 6.78-inch OLED display boasts a 120 Hz refresh rate and rounded edges. On paper, the specifications seem decent for $499, but in practice, the camera lags behind competitors, the display is less bright than those of similarly priced phones from Google, Samsung, or Nothing, and it is stuck on a February 2026 security patch without a clear update plan.

      Truth Social is preinstalled, along with a telehealth application called Doctegrity. The rest of the software is largely stock Android 15 with minimal customization, featuring a Trump Mobile boot animation and the word “TRUMP” in the status bar when connected to the network.

      Trump Mobile functions as an MVNO through Florida-based Liberty Mobile Wireless on the T-Mobile network. The monthly fee of $47.45 references Trump’s two terms in office and is not competitive. For instance, Visible charges $35 for unlimited data that includes hotspot and smartwatch services. Trump Mobile does include roadside assistance and telehealth as added benefits, yet it lacks a mobile app for account management and restricts live customer support to 8 AM to 11 PM Central.

      There is little indication that the T1 is being shipped in significant numbers, as only a handful of media outlets have received review units. Trump Mobile now claims the device is partially “assembled” in the US, but fails to clarify what that entails. According to the fine print on their website, Trump Mobile is not directly affiliated with the Trump Organization. Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. participated in the launch event, but their involvement seems to stop there.

      Bloomberg's assessment states that while the T1 isn't complete junk, it isn't recommendable either. Alternatives such as the Pixel 10a, iPhone 17e, and various midrange Samsung and Motorola phones are better choices at the same price or lower. The lack of long-term software support is the most pressing concern. Despite the Trump administration's involvement in tech policy, this phone remains on an outdated Android version with no commitment to security updates.

      As Bloomberg put it: “If President Trump himself isn’t going to use the T1 phone daily, why should you?” For anyone but collectors of political memorabilia, the answer is clear: celebrity-branded phones have a consistent history of failing.

      Published June 17, 2026 - 10:49 pm UTC