The iPhone 17 may need to share space with an unexpected upstart when it is inevitably launched in September: The Trump Mobile T1 phone. And instead of rose gold, T1 naturally arrives a pure gold -colored finish.
Yes, the Trump Mobile T1 phone is official. The device was launched today with Trump Mobile Carrier Service and we have a million questions.
Such as? Well, why do we need a new carrier in the US offering $ 47.45 a month unlimited service? There are already more affordable plans from Verizon, Mint Mobile and others.
Then again, maybe you want this Android phone, which is a curiosity of a device, mixing of aging and new technology for a $ 499 package that seems to break any new plot of land over existing flagships.
Here are all quirks (marketed as benefits) by this very Trumpian phone.
It has a port from the past
Even as most modern smartphones, Android and iPhone, have discarded 3.5mm headphone jack, brings 6.7-inch T1 back to a 5G phone. No word about whether the phone is also sent with a set of wired earplugs.
It can be upgraded
256 GB storage for start is not bad, but I am shocked to see that T1 is also sent with a memory card castle for upgrading. It’s unusual and somewhat old-school. It could mean that the back is popping off and then the big battery could show up. It can also just be a memory card game on the chassis.
If so, please tell me more about your IP assessment. Can this phone handle a dunk in a golden toilet?
It has a mystery processor
While we have some details about T1, like its 12GB RAM and 256 GB of storage, there is no information about the mobile processor. From now on, few new mobile processors are being manufactured in the US, but there is a chance that T1 will buy its brains from TSMC’s Arizona Fab. According to reports, the company has already built some A16 chips for Apple.
Still, it seems risky at best to put $ 100 to ensure a pre -order on a phone that makes a mystery of performance.
It has only Android 15
There is nothing wrong with Android 15. I am currently running on my excellent Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. In September, however, we expect many top phones to run Android 16 instead.
In fact, Google Pixel has access to Android 16 now and we would expect Samsung devices to have access for the next month or two. Other phones, including those from OnePlus and Oppo, can get Android 16 beta right now.
If Trump Mobile wants to play in this game, it can’t just arrive with last year’s platform. People like their smartphones that live on the bleeding edge.
It doesn’t have (much) ai
In the AI era, releasing a new smartphone or really any consumer electronics-there is not AI at the center is the tone-deaf-technical marketing.
The T1 -SPEC list shows AI Face Unlock – I have no idea what it is – and that’s it.
Without knowing the core processor, it is of course difficult to know what the Neural Processing Unit (NPU) can be if it exists at all. Can you imagine a new smartphone coming into this market without generative capabilities?
Seriously it is not a feature of being ‘gold’.
It has a low -resolution macro camera
T1 seems to offer a solid main camera (50MP) and a nicely distributed selfie camera (16MP). But I’m confused by the 2MP macro. It was something OnePlus tried ages ago, and it results in close -up but incredibly low resolution and muddy macro photography. It’s hardly worth having.
And not explained is the inclusion of a 2MP depth camera. Is it for augmented reality (AR)? Probably not because the resolution is too low to produce a decent 3D card. Maybe it’s the focus assistant technology. If so better to say that.
It has a large battery
A $ 499 smartphone with a 5,000 mAh battery is something of a deviation and should be good news if you assume it is a high quality and not prone to quick drainage or problems that can cause swelling.
The point is that a phone of $ 499 may have cheaper components, but a large battery is a place you can’t afford to skimp.
I am also fascinated that it includes 20W “PD” (power supply) fast charging. This is a plus if the phone is also sent with a 20W charging adapter.
It has an uncertain design
You can’t look at the T1 phone without noticing the camera ray and the odd distance between lentils. First of all, why are there three equally large lenses when two of them are only 2MP? Second, why are they distributed so far apart?
It’s not a good look and makes me wonder if the T1 image is just a placeholder when they finish the design.
When we talk about design, Trump Mobile T1 shows as a 6.8-inch phone with a 6.78-inch amoled screen, but the handset looks very loud and thin as if it may have a weird 21:10 image ratio.
There are no dimensions stated (I bet they just don’t know yet), which means you have to take the design with a huge spoonful of golden salt.
It will be born in the US … maybe
Trump Mobile claims T1 is “made in the US”, but my guess is that this is more of an ambition than a reality.
Let’s assume the phone will be gathered here in the US. It’s a great assumption, but I’m willing to consider it. Most of the components are still coming outside the United States. Even if the CPU is eventually manufactured in Arizona, comes cellular radiochips, GPS, AMOLED screen technology, cameras and more all outside the country.
I will be interested in seeing how much transparency we get on that front if and when this phone arrives in September.
It’s a Trump -Family Things
It’s a Trump Mobile T1 8002 phone, but no one mentions President Donald Trump.
Instead, the venture was announced in a YouTube video by his sons Don Jr. And Eric, who both run many of the Trump ventures, including a crypto business.
So it’s a Trump phone, but not officially a President Trump device, but with all the essence of the current US president.
