More competition is generally never a bad thing in thetelecom industry, but this is the weirdest case I’ve ever seen.Verizonand AT&T have a new competitor, and it’s none other than the Trump family itself, withTrump Mobile.
Yes, you read that correctly: Trump Mobile is somehow a real thing. The Trump Organization, known for its hotels and golf courses (and its connection to US President Donald Trump), is entering the mobile phone business with its own network, called Trump Mobile.
Trump Mobile currently offers only one plan, “The 47 Plan,” which costs $47.45 per month. This plan provides5G coverageand benefits comparable to that of other major networks, including unlimited talk, text, and data, and support for both physical SIMsand eSIMs.
The new mobile company is being launched by President Trump’s eldest sons, Don Jr. and Eric Trump. On Fox News, Eric Trump said Trump Mobile “is going to revolutionize cell phones.”
Trump Mobile, also known as T1 Mobile, is an MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator), which means it relies on network infrastructure that it doesn’t own. It utilizes the 5G services from T-Mobile, AT&T, and Sprint, so it should have good coverage throughout the US. However, it doesn’t seem that revolutionary to me.
If you’re as confused about why the Trump Organization is launching its own mobile network as I am, don’t worry – it’s about to get even more confusing when you see the gold phone Trump Mobile is launching soon.
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The $500 T1 Phone is sketchy
The website says it has a “5000mAh long life camera”
Arguably, the highlight of the Trump Mobile announcement wasn’t the mobile network itself, but the questionable Android phone it’s offering for pre-order, called the T1 Phone, which will be available for $500. In apress release, the phone is described as a “sleek, gold smartphone engineered for performance and proudly designed and built in the United States.”
The phone is supposedly set to be available in August or September, depending on whether you choose to believe the press release, which states August, or theTrump Mobile website, which claims September.
The website for the T1 Phone appears to have been hastily put together. It includes what looks like a photoshopped picture of the device, showcasing its brushed gold appearance, with a “T1” logo and a US flag on the back. The T1 Phone somewhat resembles an iPhone, as it features the same triple camera setup on the back, but it includes a hole-punch selfie camera on the front, like many Android phones have.
If I had to choose between the $500 Pixel 9a and the T1 Phone, I’d stick with the Pixel for now, unless Trump Mobile has magically figured out how to manufacture the perfect smartphone.
The specification page for the T1 phone is filled with errors, such as Trump Mobile stating it has a “5000mAh long life camera” (I believe it means 5,000 mAh long-life battery) and a processor section that doesn’t specify a processor. What the page does indicate is that the T1 Mobile has a 6.8-inch AMOLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate, and three rear cameras: a 50-megapixel main camera, a 2-megapixel depth sensor, and a 2-megapixel macro lens. The phone is also listed as having 12GB of RAM, 256GB of storage, a 5,000mAh battery, a USB-C port, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. It supposedly runs Android 15.
It seems like a pretty standard budget Android phone to me. However, the absence of any mention of a processor is what is most concerning. If I had to choose between the $500Pixel 9aand the T1 Phone, I’d stick with the Pixel for now, unless Trump Mobile has magically figured out how to manufacture the perfect smartphone.
If you want to learn about Trump Mobile or the T1 Phone, you’re able to visitTrump’s Mobile website. There are several other underlying concerns regarding Trump Mobile, such as how the FCC chairman will regulate a company that his boss' family operates.
