Trump Mobile, a phone company under the Trump Organization, has postponed its plan to ship a gold-colored phone by the end of 2025.
This marks another setback for the project, which initially promised to launch a $499 smartphone made in the U.S. this year to compete with mainstream brands like Apple and Samsung, but has since seen its product vision significantly scaled back.
Trump Mobile's customer service team stated that recent U.S. government shutdowns have forced a delay in the phone's delivery, adding that it is "highly unlikely" the device will ship within this month.
The phone, named the "T1," along with a monthly mobile plan priced at $47.45, was officially announced in June. This is one of a series of business initiatives launched by the Trump family enterprise, capitalizing on Trump's return to the White House.
The product was unveiled as Trump was urging the iPhone manufacturer to shift production to the U.S. and threatening to impose a 25% tariff on both Apple and Samsung.
Trump Mobile initially claimed the T1 phone would be released in August, be "Made in the USA," and available for pre-order with a $100 deposit.
However, its "Made in the USA" claim was widely questioned by supply chain analysts and industry experts. They pointed out that, given the heavy reliance of existing smartphone suppliers on Asian supply chains, producing a phone with mass consumer appeal using only U.S.-made components is nearly impossible.
According to estimates from International Data Corporation (IDC), U.S.-made components currently account for less than 5% of the parts in an iPhone.
Just weeks after the product announcement, Trump Mobile abandoned the "Made in the USA" marketing angle, modifying its promotional materials to instead state that the phone was "Assembled in the USA." The originally scheduled August release date for the T1 was subsequently pushed back to the end of the year.
Recently, Trump Mobile has begun selling used devices from the two leading U.S. smartphone manufacturers, Apple and Samsung.
The company is selling a 2023 iPhone 15 for $629. Its website claims the sold used devices have "no inflated pricing." In comparison, Apple's official website sells the new 2024 iPhone 16 for $699.
Additionally, Trump Mobile is selling a used Samsung S24 model, released in early 2024, priced at $459, slightly lower than the $489 price for the same used model on Samsung's official website.
Since the product launch event, the Trump Mobile team has maintained a low profile. Trump's two sons, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, have stated they have "partnered with top industry talent" to address what they called "weak performance" issues in the mobile industry.
At the launch event, Trump Mobile announced three executives: Pat O'Brien, Eric Thomas, and Don Hendrickson, though detailed background information for the trio was not disclosed at the time.
Trump Mobile confirmed that Eric Thomas, the head of its device division, is also the owner of Olympus Construction, a real estate company in Utah.
Pat O'Brien serves as the president of Ensurity Ventures, an insurance company in Missouri, which operates Trump Mobile's customer service hotline.
Don Hendrickson's online profile identifies him as the Executive Vice President of Freedom Mobile Wireless, a little-known Florida-based Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) that provides the plan services for Trump Mobile, whose offices are located in Trump Tower Miami. During the June launch event, O'Brien mentioned that Hendrickson has a background in the pager industry.
As of now, Trump Mobile, Eric Thomas, and Pat O'Brien have not responded to requests for comment, and Don Hendrickson could not be reached.
