The "Trump phone" that directly challenges the iPhone 17 still can't do without "Made in China".
US President Donald Trump has announced his entry into the mobile phone industry.
To be precise, the Trump family group is going to launch a new mobile phone called the T1 Phone 8022 (Gold Edition). Pre - orders have now begun, and the price is $499 (equivalent to approximately 3,584.57 Chinese yuan).
Interestingly, this mobile phone will be officially released in September this year, which means it will go head - to - head with the Apple iPhone 17.
As a "MAGA" phone, the T1 of course claims to be "proudly designed and manufactured in the United States." An official email states that it will be produced in Alabama, Florida, and California.
Since it's impossible to bring iPhone production back to the US, Trump came up with the idea of creating a "Made in America" phone. It's a nice thought, but can reality live up to the US President's wishes?
The "American Phone" Built for Americans
Let's take a look at the only product image of this phone. The back of the phone closely resembles the iPhone 16 Pro. Inside the camera module, there are only three cameras with somewhat random spacing, and there's no flash. Below the large "T1" logo is a silhouette of the Stars and Stripes, full of patriotism. The whole phone shines with gold, fully demonstrating the wealthy taste of Trump, who comes from the business world.
The front of the phone is even more eye - catching: there are large "Trump Mobile" letters and the classic "Make America Great Again" slogan. It's just that the suspected fingerprint recognition module below the Stars and Stripes is not centered, and it seems they forgot to add a flash to the back camera in the photo - editing process.
This phone with a strong personal style has naturally brought a great shock to Americans who are used to the minimalist aesthetics of Apple and Samsung. However, it reminds Chinese netizens of an old friend from 10 years ago:
The Gree phone with Dong Mingzhu's "letter"
In addition to this image, the official website has also revealed the "detailed" configuration of the T1 phone:
- 6.8 - inch AMOLED punch - hole screen
- 120Hz refresh rate
- 50 - megapixel main camera, 2 - megapixel depth sensor, 2 - megapixel macro lens
- 16 - megapixel front - facing camera
- 5000mAh battery with 20W PD fast charging
- USB - C interface, supporting USB 2.0 protocol
- 3.5 - millimeter headphone jack
- Under - display fingerprint sensor + AI face unlock
- Android 15 system
- 12GB RAM
- 256GB ROM, supporting expandable memory cards
This configuration list is full of highlights: a 120Hz refresh rate that the standard version of the iPhone 16 doesn't have, a larger battery than the iPhone 16 Pro Max, and the "alien technology" 3.5 - millimeter headphone jack. But there's no mention of the most important component, the processor, which only makes people more curious and expectant.
The above is all the existing basic information about this phone. Currently, the official website only has this "concept image" where the position of the under - display fingerprint and the flash haven't been properly edited, this parameter list as vague as a knock - off phone, and the $499 price tag.
If it weren't for the "Trump" brand, all of this would look like a scam. But now, it seems like the current US President, who doesn't play by the rules, is once again playing a joke on the world.
"Trump Mobile" not only makes phones but also provides wireless carrier services for "hard - working Americans," offering "affordable, value - reflecting, reliable, and trustworthy" services.
It says "Processor & Memory," but there's only information about the memory
Trump Mobile will cooperate with the three major US carriers to provide 5G services, mainly promoting the "47" plan with a monthly fee of $47.45. It's worth mentioning that Donald Trump was the 47th and 45th President of the United States respectively.
The content of this plan is also very generous, including unlimited calls, texts, and data (20GB of high - speed data at first), a 24 - hour roadside assistance service, and free international calls to over 100 countries. There's no contract, and it can be cancelled at any time.
Similar to China's "Mi Card" and "King Card," Trump Mobile is actually a "virtual network operator," using the services of the three major US telecom carriers, AT&T, Verizon, and T - Mobile.
Apple Insider believes that the details of this plan are vague and the fees are high. The "unlimited data" and other services seem more like empty promises.
If "Trump Mobile" has some commercial viability, then the "Trump Phone T1" might be an outright scam. In fact, this patriotic phone full of "MAGA" might actually be made in China.
An American Patriotic Phone Made in China?
The poorly edited image and the vague configuration list strongly suggest that this phone is still just a fantasy, and there might not even be a prototype.
We conducted a detailed analysis in April. To realize Trump's idea of a "Made in America iPhone," it would cost billions of dollars and take several years, and the cost of the produced iPhone would be several times the current price.
The reason is simple: the raw materials and component supply chains for a smartphone are spread across the globe. The US can't even refine the cobalt and lithium needed for batteries. Various technology and labor costs would directly destroy the iPhone's high profit margins.
When it comes to "All - American" phones, the Liberty Phone can't be ignored. This patriotic phone claims to have a "safe supply chain entirely from US electronics factories," but its configuration and performance are extremely outdated, and many of its components are sourced from China and Vietnam. It costs $2000, enough to buy two iPhone 16 Pros.
The Trump Phone T1, which surpasses the iPhone in some parameters, is priced at only $499.
Based on the current configuration list of the T1, the most high - end component is the 6.8 - inch AMOLED screen, which is as large as that of the iPhone 16 Pro Max. But the US basically doesn't have the advanced technology and industrial chain for OLED production.
Similarly, although it's expected that the T1 won't have a state - of - the - art camera, the CMOS sensor inside will most likely need to be imported.
If the T1 is really going to be entirely made in the US and delivered on time in three months at this reasonable price, it might take the full force of President Trump and the whole nation to achieve it.
Actually, the Trump Group didn't make absolute claims and left some room. Eric Trump, the second son of Trump and the spokesperson, said that "the T1 phone can ultimately be made in the US," which implies that in the initial stage, the T1 is still a "global phone."
The familiar configuration and design of the T1 phone have led both US netizens and industry experts to believe that it's probably just a "re - branded phone," and very likely a re - branded ODM phone made in China, which is a common model for re - branding. In simpler terms, many of these are similar to the "knock - off phones" in China.
After this speculation emerged, the media and netizens started searching on Amazon for the real identity of the T1 phone and finally identified several domestic low - end phones, such as the Revvl 7 Pro produced by Luxshare Precision and Wingtech, and the DOOGEE Note 58.
It's worth mentioning that the e - commerce prices of these low - end phones are around $150, and the highest doesn't exceed $200. This means that if the T1 phone is really a re - branded version of these phones, the Trump Group can make huge profits.
For us watching from afar, there's no need to worry too much that the T1 phone will cause the relevant industrial chains to return to the US and impact our domestic manufacturing. Because this essentially goes against the laws and disrupts the mature business model the US developed during the globalization era, which is to transfer low - value - added manufacturing processes overseas and use the labor cost difference to earn high profit margins.
Based on the current situation, the Trump T1 phone has little to do with technology and digital products, and not much to do with geopolitics either. It's more like a blatant money - making scheme, mainly targeting a group of Americans who firmly believe in MAGA and come from the lower - class. They have low education levels, limited knowledge, and are unlikely to understand the complex supply chain behind a phone.
That abstract product image is like a "threshold" for screening the target audience and is also a microcosm of this phone: it's only for those foolish enough to believe in it.
Don't just listen to what a person says; watch what they do. I believe that even if this phone is actually launched, Trump himself might only use it for a few photo - ops, and in the end, he'll still be using an iPhone.
This article is from the WeChat official account "ifanr" (ID: ifanr). Author: Discovering Tomorrow's Products. Republished by 36Kr with permission.