Particle.news
Download on the App Store
12 ARTICLES
·
51m ago

Experts Doubt Trump Organization’s $499 T1 Smartphone Can Be Built in U.S.

Experts warn U.S. manufacturing limitations make the T1’s ‘built in the USA’ claim unlikely to hold up under FTC guidelines.

Image
The Trump Organization has licensed the Trump. name for a new phone and wireless service.
Donald Trump Jr. participates in the announcement of Trump Mobile, in New York's Trump Tower, Monday, June 16, 2025.
The Trump Organization announced plans to license its name to a wireless service and smartphone.

Overview

  • The Trump Organization announced the gold-colored T1 Phone on June 16 with a $499 price tag alongside Trump Mobile, a new MVNO powered by Liberty Mobile and using major U.S. carriers.
  • Supply chain analysts say the U.S. lacks the facilities and skilled workforce to produce high-volume smartphones, making Asian component sourcing and overseas assembly almost certain.
  • Johns Hopkins supply-chain expert Tinglong Dai and others estimate truly U.S.-made phones would cost over $1,000, far above the T1’s advertised price.
  • Federal Trade Commission rules require that almost all components and final processing occur domestically to claim ‘Made in USA,’ a threshold industry veterans say the T1 cannot meet.
  • Observers note the device could incur additional costs from President Trump’s tariffs on imported electronics and criticize inconsistent launch dates, website errors and opaque manufacturing details.