Trump Mobile announces that it will start shipping its gold-plated $499 T1 devices this week.
Critics Label $499 Gold-Plated Trump Mobile 'A Fraudulent Grift' Following Shipment Announcement
In the wake of President Donald Trump’s visit to Beijing for a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, smartphone company Trump Mobile has revealed that it will start shipping its gold-plated $499 T1 devices this week.
The mobile phones will first be delivered to the people who had placed orders.
The company released an official statement regarding the same on Wednesday, May 13, and also shared a video advertisement flaunting the gold plating and other features of the phone.
Trump Mobile Draws Comparison to China-Manufactured Phones
Trump Mobile announces that the shipment of its T1 phones will begin this week.
According to its makers, the smartphone, which features an American flag on its back, is curated for “real American value” and “unlike many modern flagship devices,” it features a 3.5 mm headphone jack.
Some of the early reviews for the Trump Mobile, based on the limited information available about it online, have compared the device to the T-Mobile REVVL 7 Pro 5G, which is manufactured in China and is reportedly sold for $128 at Walmart and Amazon.
Similar to T1, the T-Mobile REVVL also has a 3.5 mm headphone jack.
'Trump Scammed His Base Yet Again'
Netizens react to the news of Trump Mobile smartphones getting shipped this week.
However, as soon as the company released pictures and videos of the gold-plated Trump Mobile with the shipping announcement, some social media users shared their views regarding the same.
Some even speculated that Trump Mobile smartphones might actually be manufactured in China.
One social media user wrote, “This is just sad. The Trump T1 phone is beginning to ship this week, and get this! It's produced in China by a Chinese company. It's selling for $499, and yet it's merely an outdated T-Mobile REVVL 7 Pro 5G smartphone put into a gold shell. You can buy the T-Mobile phone on eBay or at Walmart for a little over $100. Trump scammed his base yet again.”
Another user stated, “I thought the gold Trump phone was made in America?”
An individual commented, “One of the reasons he went to China.” One user branded it “a fraudulent grift by Trump.”
Taking a dig at people who ordered the smartphone, one user stated, “I honestly think some people actually like getting scammed by him. They wear it like a badge of honor to be one of his fraud victims.”
“I’m not saying there’s a link, but Trump goes to China, and the next day, he is shipping out phones from China,” another wrote.
A person stated, “Literally the most Chinese-looking phone I have ever seen.”
Trump Mobile CEO Pat O’Brien told Reuters in a statement this week that the smartphones were first launched in June 2025, but the release of the T1 phones was first pushed to October that year and later to this week after delays in testing and development.