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 Photos
The Trump Group scrapped a reference that its lately revealed smartphone will probably 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 mentioned: “Our MADE IN THE USA ‘T1 Telephone’ is out there for pre-order now.”
The reference to the place the cellphone will probably be produced has been fully eliminated. The change was first famous by The Verge.
The T1’s webpage now says the cellphone has “American-Proud Design” and is “dropped at life proper right here within the USA” — although it is unclear if which means it would really be manufactured in America.
When the T1 was initially introduced, specialists advised CNBC the system would doubtless be made in China by an area third-party firm. The U.S. doesn’t have a sophisticated provide chain to fabricate smartphones. Even when it did, many elements would nonetheless want to return from abroad.
Nevertheless, in an announcement to USA TODAY, Trump Cellular Spokesperson Chris Walker, mentioned that “T1 telephones are proudly being made in America.”
“Hypothesis on the contrary is solely inaccurate,” Walker mentioned.
The language about manufacturing location will not be the one factor that has modified on the T1 web site. A number of the options and specs of the system have additionally been up to date.
Within the preliminary announcement, the Trump Cellular web site mentioned the T1 would have a 6.8-inch AMOLED display screen. That has now been decreased to six.25-inch AMOLED show. A reference to the system having 12 gigabytes of random entry reminiscence (RAM), has additionally been dropped.
It is an uncommon transfer for a smartphone firm to vary the specs of a tool after it has been introduced.
CNBC has reached out to the Trump Group in regards to the adjustments in language relating to the system being manufactured within the U.S., in addition to amendments to the telephones 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.
