Donald Trump’s family business is putting the president’s name behind something that few have dared to produce in years: a made-in-America smartphone.
The Trump Organization, led by the president’s eldest sons, said on Monday that it has licensed Donald Trump’s name to a new wireless service and a gold-colored phone. The T1, as the device is called, is supposed to be available in August for $499, and is “proudly designed and built in the United States,” the company said in a statement.
But the patriotic pitch drew immediate skepticism, and not just over President Trump trying to cash in again while in office. Several tech industry insiders questioned whether selling a made-in-America phone is even possible within just a few months, considering most electronics manufacturing is done overseas because of expensive domestic labor, a shortage of skilled workers, and a lack of suppliers.
“As someone who’s spent over a decade building a secure, privacy-first smartphone, focusing on manufacturing in the U.S., and I can say this with confidence: Producing a fully U.S.-made phone isn’t something you spin up overnight,” said Todd Weaver, CEO of Purism, the only company currently producing a U.S.-made smartphone. “If the Trump phone is promising a $499 price tag with domestic manufacturing, this announcement looks to be classic vaporware.”
