Shocker. The Trump Mobile T1 phone is not ‘made in the US.’ We know this because the Trump mobile site quietly changed the T1 language and now claims the phone will be “American proud design”.
It’s an interesting turning of the phrase, and one reminiscent of how Apple describes the creation of its popular iPhone. On the packaging (it used to be on the devices), says ‘Designed by Apple in California.’ Everyone knows that the products are largely gathered elsewhere, often in China, but increasingly in India and Vietnam.
For months, US President Donald Trump has been pushing Apple CEO Tim Cook to build his iPhone in America. Cook has offered some plans to help change balance, so some of the work, maybe some chip development, possibly some Apple Intelligence Hosting, can happen in the US, but that has never been enough for Trump.
But now, maybe, just maybe, Trump will change his tune. Although the president is not directly involved in the Trump Mobile or the T1 phone (it’s a Trump family business), it has all the ear tags in a Donald Trump creation, including the creepy gold finish and the somewhat oddball design (why is it so high?). The allegation of “made in the US” was not random; It’s Trump’s whole fire.
The new Wordsmithing on the Trump Mobile -Web site is nothing if not entertaining:
“The T1 phone is not only powerful – it’s brought to life right here in the US. With US hands behind every device, we bring care, precision and trusted quality to every detail.”
Is it “American hands” collection of money on pre -orders? I doubt that means someone is collecting the phone in the US. There is perhaps an American designer who has looked at all the existing Android 15 -Smartphones and chosen his favorite bits (I give them the credit for including 3.5mm headphone jack).
‘Made to America’, more like that
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However, Trump Mobile faces the harsh truth of consumer electronics from the 21st century: Almost nothing is built in the United States, and almost all the components needed to produce the phone are produced outside the coherent United States.
As we reported a few weeks ago, it was at best to live up to the ‘Made in the US’ request.
“Firstly” Made in the US “has a high bar. Professor Tinglong Dai, who teaches at Johns Hopkins University Carey Business School, told us:” FTC [Federal Trade Commission] Has a strict standard for “Made in USA”: All or almost all parts and treatment must be domestic. Judging by this default is the allegation is unrealistic. “
Will Trump finally admit to cooking, “Yes, maybe it’s not fair to demand that you build your iPhone here in America when I can’t even build my own name -branded phone here in the US.”
The $ 499 phone has been on pre -order for less than two weeks, but I wonder if anyone sold on the idea of a modern ‘made in the US’ handset has requested the return of their $ 100 payout.
Will more people now wait until the phone is sent “later in the year” and for the first reviews to appear before they buy? It assumes that Trump Mobile offers the phone for review. For US Tech Media, this means Trump Mobile will have to figure out how to first get the phone to the United States.
