Trump's upcoming smartphone might not be made in US
What's the story
The Trump Organization's recent announcement of its new wireless service, Trump Mobile, and upcoming T1 smartphone has raised eyebrows among experts.
While the company claims the device will be "proudly designed and built in the United States," many are skeptical about such an ambitious promise.
Todd Weaver, CEO of Purism—a company that actually manufactures cell phones in US—said it would take years to build an onshore or nearshore fabrication operation without anyone noticing.
Design similarities
T1 resembles Chinese-made Revvl 7 Pro 5G
Experts have noted striking similarities between the specifications of Trump's T1 smartphone and an already available Chinese-made device.
Max Weinbach, an analyst at Creative Strategies, observed that the design and features of the T1 closely resemble those of Wingtech's Revvl 7 Pro 5G.
The device is manufactured in China and retails for around $169 (around ₹14,600) on Amazon.
Conflicting messages
Eric Trump says phones 'can be' built in USA
Despite the claims of being "Made in the USA," Eric Trump, in an interview with conservative media personality Benny Johnson, said that "eventually all the phones can be built in the United States of America."
This statement raises questions about whether the T1 will be manufactured domestically from its launch or if it will start production elsewhere before moving to US-based manufacturing.
Production hurdles
Building phone in US by September is impossible: Experts
Ryan Reith of IDC's Worldwide Device Tracker said that building a phone in the US for a September 2025 launch would be "challenging, if not impossible."
He added that most of its components would likely still come from overseas.
Meanwhile, Weaver highlighted the Federal Trade Commission's strict guidelines on claiming an item is "Made in the USA," suggesting there may be some backpedaling on this front.