Trump Mobile’s T1 phone is finally coming but it won’t be made in America

Trump phone

• Trump Mobile T1 phone not made in US, only partial assembly in Florida
• T1 features 6.8-inch display, Snapdragon 7-series chip, 512GB storage
• Preorder price is $499, new buyers will pay more but under $1,000

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The long-delayed Trump Mobile T1 smartphone may finally be close to launch, but it won’t be made in America, despite earlier suggestions that it might be.

Executives from Trump Mobile have now confirmed that the phone is not being manufactured in the US, with only a small part of its final assembly planned in Florida. The details came during an interview with The Verge, where two senior executives also shared fresh updates about the device’s design, specifications and pricing.

According to Don Hendrickson and Eric Thomas, the T1 phone could arrive by the end of March, months later than its originally planned August or September debut. Since then, the phone has gone through a redesign. The updated version will now feature a much larger display, closer to 6.8 inches, instead of the earlier 6.25-inch screen.

Internally, the phone is also getting a notable boost. The T1 will run on a Snapdragon 7-series processor from Qualcomm, though the exact model hasn’t been named. Storage has been bumped up significantly too, with 512GB built in, along with support for a microSD card of up to 1TB.

Thomas briefly showed off the redesigned phone during the interview. The most visible change is the camera module, which now has a more oval-shaped layout instead of the earlier square design. However, the overall branding remains loud and clear, with large “T1” lettering, an American flag icon on the back, and the Trump Mobile logo at the bottom.

There is some bad news on pricing. While customers who paid a $100 preorder deposit will still be able to buy the phone for $499, new buyers will have to pay more. Trump Mobile hasn’t revealed the exact new price yet, but it has confirmed that it will stay below $1,000.

On the manufacturing front, the company clarified that the phone does not meet the strict standards required to be labelled “Made in America.” Under US Federal Trade Commission rules, such a claim requires products to have virtually no foreign-made components, which is rare in the smartphone industry. Instead, Trump Mobile says production is handled by a “favored nation,” with only the final assembly of around 10 components taking place in Miami.

As for availability, there’s still no fixed shipping date. Trump Mobile says sales will begin after the phone clears certification with T-Mobile, which is expected sometime in mid-March. The company is also preparing to relaunch its website soon with updated images and a complete specification sheet for the redesigned T1.