The T1 Phone is Trump Mobile's flagship smartphone. But experts say it's not going to be made in America. (Image: Trump Mobile) · Trump Mobile
Posted on 06/19/2025 9:48:29 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
President Trump’s family is launching a smartphone it’s calling the T1 Phone alongside its own mobile service dubbed Trump Mobile. One of the biggest selling points of the device, which will be priced at $499, is that it will be made in America.
But the announcement, made by Trump's sons Eric and Donald Jr. on Monday, leaves a lot of unanswered questions. Chief among them: How the company plans to manufacture a smartphone in America in the first place.
According to Trump Mobile, the T1 Phone will be available in September. But experts are throwing cold water on the idea that the device can be built in the US by that time, or even within the coming years.
IDC analyst Francisco Jeronimo said the T1 will likely be based on an existing phone manufactured overseas.
“Smartphones are not like you decide to print a few more T-shirts or a few [types of] other merchandise,” Jeronimo told Yahoo Finance. “They are complex products. So first, I doubt they are manufacturing or building phones themselves.”
“This looks like a typical white label product that you go to change and buy it from someone, put the logo on top, but that's it,” he said.
Counterpoint Research analyst Blake Przesmicki offered a similar assessment of the T1 phone, saying in an email that it “is likely that this device will be initially produced by a Chinese [original device manufacturer].”
Todd Weaver is the developer of Purism’s Liberty Phone, a privacy-centric smartphone that uses US-built electronics. Weaver it took his company years to set up the facilities and source the necessary components to ensure the phone’s processing and communications features all come from America.
“There’s a lot of challenges, many years, to even get to the scale that we’re at,
(Excerpt) Read more at finance.yahoo.com ...
That is overdone and ugly.
I was imagining a minimalist gold phone.
Maybe they’ll import parts from China, assemble in the U.S., then say “Made in USA.”
Trump’s children develop, manufacture and sell a phone. Biden’s sell influence?
Trump’s children develop, manufacture and sell a phone. Biden’s sell influence?
FTA: “Todd Weaver is the developer of Purism’s Liberty Phone, a privacy-centric smartphone that uses US-built electronics. Weaver it took his company years to set up the facilities and source the necessary components to ensure the phone’s processing and communications features all come from America.”
Does Mr. Weaver want to be come rich and famous?
Seems like an advertisement to say, “Buy me, Trump! Buy me!.
RE: Maybe they’ll import parts from China, assemble in the U.S., then say “Made in USA.”
That’s the plan, based on what I’ve been hearing. But they’ll diversify away from China as much as possible.
If it’s a smartphone it DEFINITELY will not be built in America, there are no smartphone factories in America.
Maybe they’ll import parts from China, assemble in the U.S.,
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The assembly in the US of smart phones is the sticky part. Parts for these phones come from all over the world. Its really a supply chain issue, as well as high US labor costs. To be profitable, they would have to sell millions and millions of them in all countries like Apple and Samsung.
There is also the question of which OS it would run - will it be just another Google Android phone?
I remain amazed, and very disappointed, at how so much of the mass media constantly down-plays America, American workers, the American economy, etcetera.
The nation that pretty much created mass manufacturing and so much technology... now can’t even build a pocket phone?
I say; BS!
There is no way it is or will be made in America
The Volla Phone gives you a choice of Linux or their own proprietary OS.
Which US city has a spare low skilled, assembly knowledgeable population that is unemployed numbering in the millions willing to work for less than $4-6 an hour? The number that comes to mind is Zero.
Just make South Korea the 51st state, and VOILA!, an American phone maker.
In any case, we used to make our won smartphone, and w designed/developed the technology, so, building them again in the U.S., should not be a years-long endeavor. Could just take a mere few months to do.
BTW, Apple is known as an American phone maker, so the iPhones are known as American made phones, even if manufactured in China. iPhones are not known as Chinese phones.
I doubt that is what a finished product will look like.
‘probably won’t be’, rumors are swirling, sources say, analysis shows....’ all hogwash.
Using US electronics isn’t BUILDING the phone in America. Even Weaver admits that it’s not really made in America. https://www.404media.co/how-a-2-000-made-in-the-usa-liberty-phone-phone-is-manufactured/ Try knowing something before throwing insults.
The nation that pretty much created mass manufacturing and so much technology... now can’t even build a pocket phone?
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Oh it could, if labor costs came down to $4-5hr and you could round up 350,000 unemployed in one area. Plus, you wold need to build out parts suppliers nearby, thereby establishing a economical supply chain, before opening the 1.4 million square meter plant [ 15 million sq foot ], which itself would take years to build out. The plant would have to be capable of producing 500,000 phones a day.
Else, you would be paying upwards of $3K for the basic model. Top of the line would be near $5k
Meanwhile Samsung and Apple would be selling their base models for $700-800.
Which one are you buying? The Trump or one of the other 2?
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