The Trump family is entering the smartphone business. On Monday, the Trump Organization announced the launch of Trump mobile devices and T1 smartphones in September, a $499 Android-based device. Trump’s mobile press release describes the phone as “fashionable” and “made in the United States.”
The Trump mobile device itself appears to be a license agreement built behind Liberty Mobile, a “free” mobile virtual network operator. (Trump Mobile Terms of Use state that the company is “powered by Free Mobile Wireless”) MVNOS is a carrier, such as Boost or Mint, which do not own any telecom infrastructure, but instead deviate networks such as Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile from the network. Trump Mobile said it will also provide additional benefits to customers such as access to roadside assistance and telehealth services.
Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. unveiled Monday at Trump Tower, a sign of their father’s 10-year announcement of the 2016 campaign, another entry for Trump Mobile to organize white label businesses. Like meme coins, shoes and steak, this guy has lasting value under the dad’s name.
Donald Trump has long put pressure on Apple CEO Tim Cook to bring iPhone production to the U.S., a move that says it could raise the retail price of the iPhone to $3,000. Now, the Trump Camp sells its own “Made in America” to supporters who care about where the equipment comes from. We don’t know how it plans to achieve this manufacturing feat.
So, how does the T1 compare to the base model iPhone 16?
Trump Mobile T1 vs. Apple iPhone 16
Since no one has actually seen the T1 phone, we rely solely on Trump Mobile’s promised specifications for this comparison. The specifications of the T1 are firmly placed in the middle-level area.
Mixable light speed
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12GB RAM and 256GB storage
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A 6.8-inch AMOLED screen
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R120Hz refresh rate (no resolution listed)
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50MP main camera, two 2MP auxiliary cameras
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16MP selfie camera
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5000mAh battery
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Fingerprint sensor and AI face unlock
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Processor: Unknown
We must note that the omission of processors that power Trump’s mobile T1 phones is very unusual.
For comparison, here are the key iPhone 16 specifications:
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8GB of RAM and 128GB, 256GB or 512GB storage
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48MP main camera, two 12MP auxiliary cameras
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12MP selfie camera
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6.1-inch OLED display
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Up to 2,000 columns of peak brightness
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60Hz refresh rate (2,556 x 1,179 resolution)
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3,500 mAh battery (up to 22 hours of video playback)
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Face ID
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A18 Bionic Chip
It should be said to be “battery”.
Image source: Trump Mobile
How does T1 compare to other smartphones?
The Google Pixel 9A widely praised the best value of Android phones this year, which cost the same as the T1 and runs on Google’s custom tensor chip. The T1’s pricing also reflects the now-notorious Freedom Phone, a 2021 Maga-branded device that turned out to be a Chinese budget phone.
The iPhone 16 is Apple’s latest flagship, starting at $799. At this price, you are getting Apple’s A18 chip, one of the most powerful mobile chipsets on the market.
But let us become grainy. Comparing the Trump T1 with Apple’s budget-friendly iPhone 16E, which costs $599 and is only $100. The 16E offers 8GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, the same A18 chip (with a 4-core GPU) and a 6.1-inch display.
Trump fans can argue that the Trump mobile operator program is a real attraction because it can be used with any unlocked phone. However, the plan costs $47.45 per month (a tribute to Trump being the 45th and 47th presidents), which costs about twice as much as MVNOS such as Boost or Mint Mobile. MVNO Mobile, which powers Trump phones, offers nearly the same plan for $20 elsewhere.
At this price point, you may just be paying for the brand.
Finally, we haven’t heard any details on the T1 phone, rather than posting to Trump’s mobile. Processor misses are a potential red flag, and it’s the only phone we know of to be made in the U.S., the Librem 5 USA, for $1,599.
