So Donald Trump released a gold smartphone covered in an American flag, the T1, alongside a 47.45 mobile subscription, a subtle (non) reference to the 47th and 45th president of the United States.
The disastrous technical specifications insist on one point that made us raise an eyebrow: the smartphone would be "designed and manufactured in the United States." Could Trump's team have managed to achieve a feat that even a giant like Apple struggles to accomplish (which earned Tim Cook numerous mockeries from President Trump)? Not so sure.
Probably just a reworked Chinese smartphone
As Apple Insider points out, it only took an hour for the internet to prove the Trump Mobile team wrong. Analyst Max Weinbach notes that the spec sheet for a Chinese smartphone lines up perfectly. This is most likely the WingTech REVVL 7 Pro 5G reworked for the occasion with its golden and patriotic skin.
Wingtech belongs to the Chinese manufacturer Luxshare, which produces this model in various Chinese cities, Kiaxing, Wuxi and Kunwing. The final coat of paint is possibly being applied in the United States, which would explain the "made in the USA" promise, but we couldn't be further from the truth.
Even though none of this has been confirmed by Donald Trump's teams, we can confirm it with some certainty. Indeed, all modern smartphone chips are manufactured in Taiwan, Korea, or China. And the spec sheet hides the identity of the T1's chip, which is crucial information for a smartphone. Furthermore, there are no major manufacturers producing smartphones in the United States, as far as we know. Producing such a device would therefore represent not only a logistical challenge, but also a human one, since it would mean training many workers for extremely specialized tasks.
Trump could still have it made in the United States (but never by this summer)
One of two things: either Trump Mobile really wants to take on this challenge, in which case the smartphone will never be marketed as early as this September as the team claims. And even then, it would probably be a simple assembly of imported parts. Or it would be a simple lick of paint applied upon arrival.
This might explain the cost of the product, which seems far removed from the REVVL 7 Pro 5G from which it is inspired. The latter is sold on Amazon for around $169. If a gold coating has been added and the cameras have been slightly reworked for the T1, then there would be no justification for the $499 price tag being charged by Trump Mobile, except perhaps the desire to support the president and his personal enrichment, as well as that of his family. On the other hand, if Trump does indeed start assembling the T1 Mobile in the USA, then the price seems too low to generate a profit. It would therefore be a gigantic PR operation carried out at a loss.
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