President Donald Trump’s family business, Trump Mobile, has not released the T1 smartphone it promoted last year, leaving the promised $500 “golden” phone absent from the market as consumer-tech companies show new gadgets at CES in Las Vegas.
The company launched its mobile phone service last June and had targeted an August or September release for its T1 device, positioning it as a lower-cost alternative to Apple’s latest iPhone models, which sell for between $800 and $1,200, according to the Associated Press report.
Trump Mobile initially described the T1 as “proudly designed and built in the United States for customers who expect the best,” but the messaging later shifted, even as the company kept taking deposits for the device. The AP reported that Trump Mobile moved away from a U.S.-manufacturing emphasis to saying the phone would be “proudly American,” and that the company’s website now touts an “American-proud” design with no further explanation.
The timeline also stretched. Trump Mobile had indicated that customers who paid a $100 deposit by a deadline would receive the phone by the end of 2025, but the company later became more vague about when the T1 would arrive. The AP said Trump Mobile’s website continues to list the T1’s targeted release date as “later this year.”
The Trump Organization did not respond to Associated Press inquiries about the delays or when the device is expected to ship, the AP reported. The Financial Times, meanwhile, recently said it was told by a customer representative that the phone will be shipped in late January and that its delayed release was linked to the 43-day shutdown of the federal government last year.
Even without the T1 on shelves, Trump Mobile has been selling other offerings. The AP reported that the company charges $47.45 per month for its wireless service, describing the price as tied to Donald Trump’s titles as the 47th and 45th President. For customers looking for devices sooner, it also sells refurbished versions of older iPhones and Samsung’s Galaxy models at prices ranging from $370 to $630.
International Data Corp analyst Francisco Jeronimo said he has been skeptical the T1 would arrive. “We have always been quite skeptical about this phone,” Jeronimo said. He added that “They are probably finding that it is harder to build a phone than they thought it would be. Let’s see if this thing comes to life or not,” according to the AP report.
Jeronimo said the T1 delay may reflect a change in strategy. “Maybe they changed their strategy and figured out they are better off just selling refurbished phones,” he said.