Trump Organization’s $499 T1 Phone Promises U.S. Manufacturing, But Experts Are Skeptical

After President Trump stirred headlines earlier this year by declaring that iPhones should be made in America, putting fresh pressure on Apple (AAPL), his own family business is stepping into the smartphone arena. The Trump Organization has unveiled plans for the $499 T1 Phone, set to launch in August. However, as the marketing touts a device “proudly designed and built in the United States,” a key question arises: where will it actually be manufactured?

The new Trump family venture, which is not part of Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG), known by the ticker (DJT), is manufactured under the Trump Organization. It states that the gold-colored Android device will be “proudly designed and built in the United States,” with production facilities located in Alabama, California, and Florida. But experts say that claim does not hold up under scrutiny.

Too Good to Be Built Here?

The T1 Phone’s promised specs rival or even exceed those of top-tier smartphones like the $1,199 iPhone 16 Pro Max. It features a 6.8-inch AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, a 5,000 mAh battery, 12GB RAM, 256GB storage with microSD expansion, a 50MP main camera, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. It also includes an under-display fingerprint sensor.

Those features sound impressive for $499, but supply chain analysts say there is no way these components are made in the U.S. Displays like AMOLED panels are mainly sourced from Samsung (SMSN) and LG in South Korea. The camera sensors usually come from Sony (SONY) in Japan. Most advanced semiconductors are made in Taiwan or China.

The Reality of U.S. Manufacturing

Eric Trump acknowledged in a podcast that the first wave of phones likely won’t be made in the U.S., though he said they “eventually” could be. Analysts doubt it. Tinglong Dai of Johns Hopkins University says the U.S. would need “at least five years” and billions of dollars to build the infrastructure needed for high-end smartphone production.

Even Apple, with its global reach and deep pockets, hasn’t been able to fully relocate iPhone production to the U.S. due to labor costs, logistics, and supply constraints.

So What’s Really Made in the U.S.?

The T1 will likely be manufactured overseas, possibly in China, and shipped to the U.S. for final assembly or software customization. That limited process might allow the “Made in USA” label under existing trade loopholes. Preorders are already open with a $100 deposit, and the official launch is expected between August and September 2025.

In the end, the Trump phone may be more of a branding effort than a manufacturing revolution. While it offers bold features at a competitive price, its American-made claim appears more aspirational than accurate.