T1 Phone: What Donald Trump's controversial cell phone looks like and how much it costs

Donald Trump returns to the fray by mixing business and politics. While he debates whether to enter the conflict between Israel and Iran , the president of the United States launched his new cell phone, known as the T1 , the first with the Android operating system that promises to "revolutionize mobile telephony."

Since the days when Barack Obama refused to let go of his BlackBerry or Joe Biden 's iPhone sported a case with the gold presidential seal, the cell phones of American presidents have always captured attention.

But this time, Donald Trump went further: he introduced his own smartphone and sparked controversy over its origins , a questionable business model, and the potential direct economic benefits for his family.

The T1 Phone, which can be reserved for $499 (with a $100 deposit), is a mid-high-range device with notable specifications: a 6.8-inch AMOLED display with a 120 Hz refresh rate, 12 GB of RAM, 256 GB of storage, a 50 MP main camera, a 5,000 mAh battery, and unlocking via fingerprint or facial recognition.

It runs Android 15 and will be available in August or September , according to official information.

The phone comes in a gold version with the inscription "Make America Great Again," a reference to Trump's political slogan.

But the launch doesn't end with the hardware: the former president's family also announced Trump Mobile, a no-contract, no-credit-check phone service that will cost $47.45 per month , a symbolic figure that refers to his position as the 47th and 45th president of the United States.

The plan includes unlimited calls, text messages, and internet access, technical support from US personnel, and benefits such as roadside assistance and telemedicine.

One of the promises of the T1 Phone is that it would be "built in America," as part of the nationalist proclamation the mogul has been promoting for years. However, experts point out that this claim is, at the very least, ambiguous.

Manufacturing a smartphone on American soil remains extremely complex. "It would take a miracle," said Professor Tinglong Dai of Johns Hopkins University.

AMOLED displays, like the one on the T1, are manufactured almost exclusively by South Korean companies like Samsung or LG, or by the Chinese company BOE. The most likely chips would come from MediaTek (Taiwan) or Qualcomm (also manufactured in Asia) , while the camera sensors could be from the Japanese company Sony .

Meanwhile, Eric Trump, the former president's son, admitted that the first models might not be entirely American , but promised that would change "over time."

The new phone and its mobile plan are part of a classic Trump business strategy, which has always been known to monetize his name with products as varied as Bibles, watches, sneakers, and fragrances. Now, cell phones too.

According to Forbes , Trump's net worth has doubled in the last year to over $5.1 billion, thanks in part to the value of his social network Truth Social and the support of his most loyal fan base, who could also become his new customers.

However, this new venture has rekindled the debate over ethical conflicts of interest , given that the Trump family could directly benefit from policies that the former president himself—now campaigning again—could promote.

While there are still no details about who will manufacture the device , which network the phone service will use, or which company is behind the operation (beyond the fact that it is a trademark license), the fact is that the T1 Phone has already managed to establish itself in the American public debate.

Some supporters celebrate the proposal as a "patriotic" alternative to popular models from Apple or Samsung . Others mock the concept, dismissing it as opportunistic marketing for electoral gain .

Currently, mobile carriers in the United States are dominated by Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile . Trump Mobile will seek to position itself as a virtual private network operator (MVNO), a model previously used by celebrities like Ryan Reynolds with Mint Mobile, which was sold in 2023 for $1.35 billion.