The $499 Trump Mobile T1 turns out to be a rebranded 2024 HTC phone with an incorrect American flag
After nine months of delay, the Trump Mobile T1 is finally being shipped to some media outlets for reviews. Turns out, it’s a rebranded HTC phone from 2024.
US President Donald Trump speaks in front of the American flag to the press. Kevin Dietsch/Getty.
After nine months of delay, the Trump Mobile T1 is finally being shipped to some media outlets for reviews. Turns out, it’s a rebranded HTC phone from 2024.
- The $499 Trump Mobile T1, shipped nine months after its promised August 2025 launch, appears to be a rebranded HTC U24 Pro from 2024 with identical specs and design.
- The phone features an incorrectly designed American flag on the back with only 11 stripes instead of 13, a flaw neither Trump Mobile nor the White House would comment on.
- Initial "Made in the USA" claims evolved to "American Proud Design" and finally "Proudly Assembled in the USA" on the box, prompting Democrats to push for an FTC probe over misleading marketing.
Key Takeaways by nexos.ai, reviewed by Cybernews staff.
In June 2025, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, sons of President Donald Trump, announced Trump Mobile alongside a new wireless service called the “47 Plan,” a reference to Donald Trump becoming the 47th President of the United States.
The gold-colored Android phone with the American flag on the back was marketed as a “patriotic alternative to big tech” and was promised to be manufactured in the US. During the announcement, the launch was planned for August 2025.
Several media outlets preordered the Trump Mobile T1 and deposited $100.
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What followed was a series of delays and changing claims. The appearance of the phone and its specifications changed numerous times. There have been reports of ongoing testing and quality control problems. Trump Mobile even blamed the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for delaying approval and certification processes.
Claims about the phone's origins also played a part. When it was first announced, the Trump Mobile T1 was to be “Made in the USA.” Along the way, this was changed to “American Proud Design.” Democrats even pushed for a federal probe by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for misleading marketing.
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And to top it off, earlier this month, Trump Mobile changed the terms and conditions, stating that the company didn’t have to deliver preorders, thus creating skepticism among preorder customers and tech journalists.
Nine months later, the first media outlets have received the Trump Mobile T1. NBC News was the first news outlet to give an honest review.
First of all, it appears that the Trump Mobile T1 is based on the HTC U24 Pro from 2024. Both phones look identical on the outside and seem to have the same specs, which is confirmed by Shahram Mokhtari, Lead Teardown Expert at iFixit.
Oddly enough, the American flag that’s stamped on the back of the phone only has 11 stripes instead of 13. Both Trump Mobile and the White House declined to answer NBC News’ questions about the design flaw.
Two features make the Trump Mobile T1 phone stand out. First, the smartphone has a 3.5mm headphone jack, which is pretty uncommon nowadays. Secondly, Truth Social, President Trump’s social media platform, has been preinstalled, as to be expected when someone like Trump launches a phone.
Lastly, the side of the box says “Proudly Assembled in the USA,” which differs from the initial branding “Made in the USA.”
The Trump Mobile T1 has a promotional pricing of $499, but this could well be higher when the phone is released to the public. Approximately 600,000 Americans have preordered the phone.
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