Tech watchdog exposes Trump’s T1 smartphone made in the USA as mostly a $170 Chinese device with minor tweaks
Despite nationalistic branding and claims of domestic manufacturing, the Trump Organization’s newly unveiled T1 smartphone appears to be little more than a repackaged Chinese-made device, according to tech analysts and social media sleuths.
Launched under the Trump Mobile brand, the T1 is described in the company’s press release as “designed and built in the United States.” The statement echoes former President Donald Trump’s repeated calls for Apple to relocate iPhone production to American soil—a demand that Apple has routinely sidestepped by assembling most of its devices in China and India.
Sporting a gold-colored finish and emblazoned with slogans such as “Make America Great Again,” the T1 boasts a 6.8-inch Punch-Hole AMOLED display, under-screen fingerprint reader, and “AI Face Unlock.” However, experts point out that none of these features are sourced from the U.S., as there are no domestic producers of AMOLED screens or VCSEL sensors required for facial recognition.
The device runs Android 15 and includes 256GB of internal storage (expandable via microSD), 12GB of RAM, and a 50MP main rear camera supported by two 2MP macro and depth sensors. The front-facing selfie camera clocks in at 16MP. These camera modules, like the rest of the phone’s core components, must also be imported.
It features a 5,000mAh battery, 20W fast charging over USB-C, and even includes a 3.5mm headphone jack. The USB-C port, however, is limited to older USB 2.0 data transfer speeds. Despite its mid-range specs, the T1’s $499 list price—with a $100 down payment required for preorders—puts it in direct competition with other budget-friendly devices. Notably, the phone is currently listed at just $180 on Amazon.
Yet, within hours of the phone’s announcement, social media users uncovered striking similarities between the T1 and T-Mobile’s REVVL 7 Pro 5G. In a widely shared post on X, analyst Max Weinbach pointed out near-identical specs and layout between the two phones, sparking allegations that the Trump-branded device is merely a “reskinned” version of the Chinese-made model.
The REVVL 7 Pro 5G is manufactured by Wingtech, a Chinese firm under Luxshare—one of the companies already known for producing Apple components. Manufacturing of the T-Mobile device is believed to occur in Chinese cities like Kiaxing, Wuxi, or Kunming.
While the Trump Organization’s phone features new branding and a redesigned exterior, the internal hardware matches that of the REVVL 7 Pro 5G, which typically retails for $250 and has dropped as low as $169 on sale.
“For the Amazon price, you don’t get the gold-colored trim, of course,” one tech blogger quipped.
Despite the patriotic messaging, there’s little evidence the T1 was either designed or assembled in the U.S. At best, industry observers say, the phone may have undergone final software tweaks or cosmetic alterations domestically—but the core device is imported.
The launch also appears carefully timed to coincide with Apple’s annual iPhone release window, with Trump Mobile eyeing an August ship date—just weeks ahead of Apple’s expected iPhone 17 rollout in September.
Note to our readers: All quotes in this report are preserved verbatim. This article is based on verified statements, product specifications, and public industry analysis to ensure transparency and factual accuracy.
