I’ve been covering phones these devices since the launch of the original iPhone 18 years ago.
And believe me when I tell you that even if I were a full-throated Trump supporter, from the tips of my toes to top of my red baseball cap, I wouldn't want anything to do with Trump Mobile — not its 47 Plan with unlimited data and especially not its gold-colored T1 Phone.
It's got nothing to do with politics. It has everything to do with this not sounding like much of a phone.
With the caveat that a shipping device always has a chance to surprise us all — and Trump Mobile's T1 Phone isn't supposed to be available for another couple of months — there's nothing in the handset's listed spec sheet that inspires any sort of confidence.
And no, I'm not dwelling on since-corrected typos on the Trump Mobile webpage that used to tout the device's “5000mAh long life camera" — a thing that does not actually exist.
Rather, the details about the T1 Phone that are listed are simply underwhelming and raise flags redder than those aforementioned baseball caps the president is so terribly fond of.
Political persuasion aside, here's why you should steer clear of the T1 Phone from Trump Mobile unless and until it proves to be better in reality than it is on paper.
That's not much of a camera setup
The T1 phone product page lists three rear cameras — a 50MP main camera flanked by dedicated macro and depth sensors. That macro sensor helps snap up-close photos of things like plants and flowers, while the depth sensor can assist with the bokeh effect on portrait shots.
It's not surprising that the T1 would lack a dedicated telephoto lens. Few phones in the $499 price range offer that kind of camera, though there are a handful like Nothing Phone's latest models.
The more eyebrow-raising omission is an ultrawide camera, which is a pretty common sight on midrange phones. The $499 Pixel 9a has one, as does the Galaxy A35, which costs $100 less than both the Pixel 9a and the T1.
Yes, Apple's $599 iPhone 16e has just one rear lens. But that's often cited as one of the biggest knocks on that particular phone, which also boasts AI and performance capabilities that the Trump phone is unlikely to offer.
You don't necessarily need multiple camera lenses with big megapixel ratings to show up on our list of best camera phones, as the Pixel 9a proves. But skimp on the camera hardware, and you'll need some pretty impressive photo processing powers to produce acceptable shots.
And the presence of two superfluous macro and depth sensors suggests that camera quality isn't a priority with the T1.
Where's the processor?
In my experience, you can tell a lot about a phone by the information that's not included, and there's an omission on the T1 Phone spec sheet that speaks volumes. There's no system-on-chip (SoC) listed, which would suggest that the phone is going to turn to unpowered silicon, likely as a concession to keep costs down.
A lesser-known chipset doesn't necessarily mean noticeable performance lags, particularly in midrange devices. But it could translate to less-than-speedy app switching and struggles with graphically-intense games.
Because the power management features on a chip play an outsized roll in how long the phone can last on a charge, you'd wonder what that portends for the T1 Phone, even with its advertised 5,000 mAh battery.
It's possible that the phone could wind up powered by a perfectly fine chipset. But until that rather important bit of information gets disclosed, I'd keep a tight grip on my phone.
A down payment? For what?
I wouldn't say I have a strict cash-on-delivery policy for purchases. But if I put up any money upfront, I want a firm idea of when I'll have the goods in hand.
Trump Mobile wants a $100 down payment for the T1 Phone, and the best it can promise is that the phone is "coming soon." That — plus a checkbox on the order site that signifies "you authorize T1SM MOBILE LLC to charge your card on a recurring basis" — makes me nervous about the fate of my down payment.
Yes, I know that when you preorder phones from other device makers, you're usually paying the full amount before your device arrives. But outfits like Apple and Samsung have multi-year track records of delivering on preorders. And normally, they provide a firm ship date when you place your order.
It doesn't help that at least one reporter from 404 Media placing a down payment on the T1 Phone not only couldn't get the order to go through but wound up with a charge on his credit card.
Sure, it's just one incident, but you never get a second chance to make a first impression — particularly when you already have a reputation for not living up to your end of agreements involving cash exchanged for goods or service, as USA Today reported.
Who's making the T1 Phone?
One of the chief selling points of the T1 Phone is that it's supposed to be built in America — at least, eventually. It's all in line with President Trump's stated goal of bringing more manufacturing jobs back to the country, particularly in the tech space.
If that's the long-term goal, then fine, but short term, there's not a lot of facilities in the U.S. capable of producing phones at any sort of volume. So the initial run of T1 Phones is likely to come from overseas.
The Trump Organization seems to have conceded as much. "Eventually all the phones can be built in the United States of America," Eric Trump, the president's son, said in an interview posted to X. "Eventually" is doing enough lifting in that sentence to place highly in a strongman competition.
If Trump Mobile is serious about meeting that August ship date for the T1, it's likely going to do what a lot of phone company's with branded devices do — turn to China for an off-the-shelf solution.
Indeed, a CNN report talks to analysts who believe the likely source of the phone will be Wingtech out of China, which supplies the Revvl 7 Pro 5G phone sold through T-Mobile — a pretty relevant comparison as that device shares a lot of specs with the T1 phone.
We can argue the relative merits of that device, but one thing you can't say about it is that it's American-made. And isn't that supposed to be the whole point of this operation.
There are cheaper unlimited data plans
It's true that you'll pay less for unlimited data with Trump Mobile's $47.45/month plan than you would for coverage from a major U.S. carrier — but not by much. T-Mobile and AT&T each have monthly unlimited data plans that start at $50 and $51, respectively, which is close enough for government work (if you'll excuse the turn of phrase).
A case could be made that the Trump Mobile 47 Plan has better perks than those bare-bones offerings, but on a strict cost basis, you're essentially paying the same.
But plenty of smaller carriers offer much better rates on unlimited data, with the added bonus of having established track records of providing dependable coverage. Two of the best unlimited data plans come from Visible and Mint, who use the cellular towers of their respective parent companies (Verizon and T-Mobile).
Visible's plans start at $25/month while Mint charges just $30/month when you pay for a year's service up front. Both carriers currently offer deals on their unlimited plans which drop the cost even further.
You can bring any phone you like to the Trump Mobile wireless service, but if you buy the T1 phone, you're tied to that $47.45 monthly plan. So not only are you getting a phone of questionable pedigree, you're also paying more for wireless service than you would if you shopped around.
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