US President Donald Trump makes use of a cellphone aboard Marine One earlier than it departs Leesburg Govt Airport in Leesburg, Virginia, on April 24, 2025. Trump is returning to the White Home after attending a MAGA, Inc. dinner on the Trump Nationwide Golf Membership Washington, DC.
Alex Wroblewski | AFP | Getty Photographs
The Trump Group scrapped a reference that its lately revealed smartphone shall be made within the U.S., amid doubts that such a tool could be manufactured on American shores at its price ticket.
A spokesperson for the Trump Group, which is owned by U.S. President Donald Trump, nonetheless maintained the handset could be made within the U.S.
This month, the Trump Group launched the T1, a gold-colored system set to retail for $499. On the time of the announcement, a banner on the homepage of the corporate’s web site stated: “Our MADE IN THE USA ‘T1 Cellphone’ is accessible for pre-order now.”
The reference to the place the telephone shall be produced has been utterly eliminated. The change was first famous by The Verge.
The T1’s webpage now says the telephone has “American-Proud Design” and is “delivered to life proper right here within the USA” — although it is unclear if meaning it should truly be manufactured in America.
When the T1 was initially introduced, specialists informed CNBC the system would seemingly be made in China by an area third-party firm. The U.S. doesn’t have a complicated provide chain to fabricate smartphones. Even when it did, many parts would nonetheless want to come back from abroad.
Nevertheless, in an announcement to CNBC, Trump Cell Spokesperson Chris Walker stated that “T1 telephones are proudly being made in America.”
“Hypothesis on the contrary is solely inaccurate,” Walker stated.
The language about manufacturing location is just not the one factor that has modified on the T1 web site. Among the options and specs of the system have additionally been up to date.
Within the preliminary announcement, the Trump Cell web site stated the T1 would have a 6.8-inch AMOLED display. That has now been lowered to six.25-inch AMOLED show. A reference to it having 12 gigabytes of random entry reminiscence, or RAM, has additionally been dropped.
It is an uncommon transfer for a smartphone firm to alter the specs of a tool after it has been introduced.
CNBC has reached out to the Trump Group in regards to the adjustments to the telephone’s specs.
Trump has made reshoring manufacturing in tech a key precedence. Whereas his preliminary consideration was on getting semiconductor manufacturing capability constructed up, the White Home chief has turned his sights on smartphones. He has additionally poured scrutiny on Apple‘s provide chain, urging the iPhone maker to fabricate its flagship handset within the U.S.
Keep forward of the curve with Enterprise Digital 24. Discover extra tales, subscribe to our publication, and be a part of our rising neighborhood at nextbusiness24.com
