Donald Trump’s long-delayed $499 gold-colored smartphone is finally here – but people quickly spotted a pretty awkward mistake on the device itself.
The new phone, called the Trump Mobile “T1,” was first announced last June by Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump as part of a new wireless service tied to the Trump brand. The launch was heavily marketed as an “all-American” product celebrating the 10-year anniversary of Donald Trump’s first presidential campaign.
The plan was originally to launch the phone in August 2025, and Trump Mobile even accepted $100 preorder deposits. But the company’s own terms and conditions appeared to cast doubt on whether the device would actually ever be released.
“A preorder deposit provides only a conditional opportunity if Trump Mobile later elects, in its sole discretion, to offer the Device for sale,” the preorder terms stated, according to UNILAD.
“A deposit is not a purchase, does not constitute acceptance of an order, does not create a contract for sale, does not transfer ownership or title interest, does not allocate or reserve specific inventory, and does not guarantee that a Device will be produced or made available for purchase.”
Trump Mobile “T1”
Now, the phones have finally started shipping. But there’s one problem people immediately noticed. The back of the gold-colored phone features an American flag design, however, early reviewers and buyers pointed out that the flag appears to include only 11 stripes instead of the 13 featured on the US flag – which has sparked questions about where it is really being made.
Trump Mobile originally described the T1 as being “MADE in America,” but the company has since adjusted that wording to say the phone was “designed with American values in mind.”
Pat O’Brien, the CEO of Trump Mobile, told USA Today that the phones are “assembled” in the US and use components “primarily manufactured in America.”
Still, experts who spoke with NBC News said the device closely resembles the HTC U24 Pro – a smartphone assembled in Taiwan.
O’Brien reportedly also told USA Today that the company has been “incredibly pleased with the interest in both the Trump Mobile service and the T1 phones,” adding that preorder shipments will continue rolling out over the next several weeks.
He did not reveal how many people actually preordered the device. The T1 experienced several delays before finally launching this week, though O’Brien insisted “those delays were worth it in our minds as we are delivering an amazing product.”
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