President Donald Trump’s family business has announced a new wireless service and a gold-colored smartphone called the T1, which they claim will be “proudly designed and built in the United States.”
Why it matters: The patriotic pitch has drawn immediate skepticism from tech industry insiders who question the feasibility of producing a fully U.S.-made phone within a few months, given the challenges of domestic electronics manufacturing.
The details:
- The T1 is supposed to be available in August for $499, running on Google’s Android operating system with features like a fingerprint sensor, facial recognition, and a 6.8-inch screen.
- The Trump Organization hasn’t disclosed the manufacturing company or location, and the product page has been criticized for errors and omissions in the technical specifications.
- Setting up manufacturing of a U.S.-made phone could take years, requiring time to line up suppliers, recruit workers, and establish a production facility.
- Eric Trump hinted that the phone may initially be made overseas, stating, “Eventually all the phones will be built in the United States of America.”
The skeptics:
- “Producing a fully U.S.-made phone isn’t something you spin up overnight,” said Todd Weaver, CEO of Purism, a company known for its privacy-focused smartphones.
- Purism’s U.S.-made Liberty Phone costs $650 to produce and retails for $2,000, raising questions about the profitability of the T1 at its $499 price point.
- Wayne Lam, an analyst with TechInsights, called the T1’s specs “underwhelming” and not competitive compared to higher-end devices like Apple’s iPhone.
- The Federal Trade Commission has strict regulations on when companies can market a product as homegrown, and experts doubt the feasibility of the Trump family secretly building out a secure, onshore manufacturing operation without anyone noticing.
What’s next: As the August release date approaches, the Trump Organization will face increased scrutiny regarding the manufacturing details and true origin of the T1 smartphone, as well as the viability of their ambitious plan to produce a made-in-America device.
