The President's sons say $499 phone will be made in the US
of ConsumerAffairsJune 16, 2025
The Trump Organization today announced Trump Mobile, a new wireless service working with all major carriers, alongside plans for a $499 “T1 Phone” manufactured in the United States starting in August.
The venture represents an ambitious challenge to Apple and Samsung, as no major smartphone manufacturer currently produces devices domestically, despite President Trump’s tariff threats targeting foreign phone makers.
Trump’s sons Eric and Donald Jr. will oversee the mobile business expansion, which includes a $47.45 monthly “47 Plan” and joins other celebrity-branded services like Ryan Reynolds’ former Mint Mobile.
The Trump Organization said Monday it will enter the competitive mobile phone market with Trump Mobile, a wireless service that will work across all three major U.S. carriers, while also planning to release an American-manufactured smartphone later this summer.
The announcement, made by Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. at Trump Tower, marks a significant expansion for the family business beyond its traditional real estate and golf course operations. The venture comes as President Trump has targeted foreign phone manufacturers with tariff threats, specifically pressuring Apple to shift production to the United States.
A “virtual” carrier
Trump Mobile will operate as a mobile virtual network operator, purchasing excess capacity from existing wireless carriers and reselling it to customers. This model mirrors other celebrity-branded services, including Ryan Reynolds’ Mint Mobile, which T-Mobile acquired in 2023, and the recently announced SmartLess Mobile from podcast hosts.
The service’s flagship offering, dubbed the “47 Plan,” will cost $47.45 monthly and allow customers to use their existing devices. However, the Trump Organization is also developing its own hardware: the T1 Phone, described as a “sleek, gold smartphone” that will retail for $499 beginning in August.
The Android-based T1 Phone represents an interestingmove, as no major smartphone manufacturer currently produces devices in the United States. The company’s website lists detailed specifications for the device but does not disclose the manufacturer. Preorders are already available through the Trump Mobile website.
DTTM Operations, which manages Donald Trump’s trademarks, filed paperwork last week to secure the “TRUMP” and “T1” trademarks for mobile phone and wireless services, according to intellectual property lawyer Josh Gerben, according to a Wall Street Journal report.
The mobile venture enters a heavily regulated industry where the Trump administration wields considerable influence. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr has already pressured major telecom operators, including T-Mobile and Verizon, to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion policies as a condition for merger approvals.
President Trump has stated he remains uninvolved in the family business’s daily operations. The Trump Organization has diversified significantly in recent years, expanding into cryptocurrency and other technology ventures alongside its traditional real estate portfolio.
Representatives from AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile did not immediately comment about the new service.
The Trump Mobile launch coincides with the president’s broader “America First” manufacturing agenda, which includes tariffs designed to encourage domestic production of consumer electronics, particularly smartphones and other devices currently manufactured overseas.
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