Смартфон T1 / Trump Mobile
The AppleInsider website claims that the «gold» T1 trampoline from the new US virtual operator Trump Mobile is made in China and has little to do with American production.
«The smartphone that the Trump Organization claims is made in the United States — a cheap Chinese Android device that it puts up for sale on Amazon, puts on new plastic, and calls it a day», the article says.
The website cites experts’ opinions that T1 telephone з 6,8” AMOLED display, in-screen fingerprint scanner, and «AI-assisted face unlocking» cannot be manufactured in the United States because these components are not produced in the country.
Analyst Max Weinbach notes in X that the T1 is very similar to the T-Mobile REVVL 7 Pro 5G model (which, however, has a different look). This smartphone is manufactured by Wingtech, a company owned by the Chinese manufacturer Luxshare. It is believed that the T-Mobile version is assembled in China. The T1 seems to be an updated version of the REVVL 7 Pro 5G — in a new body and with offset cameras. This smartphone usually costs $250, and its price can be reduced to $169 on sale.
So, the T1 may have been modified in the US, but it was not developed or assembled in the United States. The site notes that the cost of the smartphone (officially $500, with a $100 prepayment) also falls short of expectations when it comes to a device made in the United States. Even Apple cannot easily move iPhone production to the United States without significant costs, as well as long-term supply chain planning.
Assembling smartphones in the US is possible, but in minimal quantities. For example, Purism, a manufacturer, fully designs and assembles smartphones in the United States. However, many of their components are imported — cameras, RAM, storage, processors, screens, etc.
AppleInsider also writes that the Trump Mobile service package, which includes roadside assistance, free calls to 100 countries, etc. — «is too much for Trump». Users may be charged an additional fee for exceeding a certain limit.
The virtual operator’s website states that a subscriber can connect his or her own phone with a SIM card provided by the company. It is unclear whether eSIMs are supported — in the US, current-generation iPhones do not have a SIM slot and are entirely dependent on the operator’s eSIM support. Probably, their owners «fly past this option.