Trump Mobile, a venture licensed by The Trump Organization, has removed all references to its T1 Phone being “Made in America” from its official website. The gold-colored smartphone, initially marketed as a symbol of American manufacturing, has shifted to vaguer language like “Proudly American” and “designed with American values in mind.” This change, first noted by The Verge on Wednesday, comes amid revelations that the T1 Phone is likely a rebranded version of a Chinese-manufactured device, raising questions about the feasibility of its original claim.
Launched earlier this month, the T1 Phone was touted as a $499 Android-based smartphone, complete with a 6.8-inch AMOLED display and a cellular plan called “The 47 Plan,” referencing Donald Trump’s second presidential term. The Trump Organization’s initial press release and website prominently featured banners declaring the phone was “proudly designed and built in the United States.” However, tech analysts quickly pointed out similarities between the T1 and the T-Mobile REVVL 7 Pro 5G, a $169 device manufactured in China by Wingtech. This led to skepticism about the “Made in America” claim, as producing a competitive smartphone entirely in the U.S. is considered nearly impossible due to the global supply chain for components.
By Wednesday, Trump Mobile had scrubbed its website of explicit “Made in America” references, replacing them with phrases like “brought to life right here in the USA.” Despite this, Trump Organization spokesperson Chris Walker told USA TODAY that the T1 phones are “proudly being made in America,” calling speculation otherwise “inaccurate.”
The website changes weren’t limited to manufacturing claims. The T1’s specifications were also altered, with the display size reduced from 6.78 inches to 6.25 inches and RAM details removed entirely. Analysts, including The Verge’s David Pierce, suggest Trump Mobile may have switched suppliers, possibly in response to the backlash over the phone’s origins.
Industry experts, such as Purism CEO Todd Weaver, have long argued that meeting the Federal Trade Commission’s strict “Made in USA” standards — requiring nearly all components to be domestically sourced — is unfeasible for smartphones. All major players like Apple rely heavily on overseas manufacturing. The T1’s $499 price point, while competitive, further complicates the economics of U.S.-based production, leading criticism of Trump Mobile’s initial claim.
MacDailyNews Take: The T1 Phone launch date, initially set for September 2025, has also been changed to “later this year,” which might make its debut after Apple unveils and launches the iPhone 17 family, likely in September.
More info about the U.S. FTC’s “Complying with the Made in USA Standard” here.
MacDailyNews Note: We’ve updated our original article, “Trump Organization unveils ‘Trump Mobile,’ a new $47.45/mo. unlimited cellular service featuring $499 American-made ‘T1’ smartphone,” June 16, 2025, with a link to this article.
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