Trump Mobile, the wireless venture backed by the Trump Organization, has postponed delivery of its long-promised gold-colored T1 smartphone beyond the end of the year, blaming the latest U.S. government shutdown for the delay. The move extends a months-long slide in its launch timeline and underscores the operational challenges of turning a political brand into a mass-market hardware business.
Customer service representatives for Trump Mobile told Fortune the shutdown had disrupted shipments of the $499 device, and said while the device would not be shipped this month, “we’ve been told mid to late January.” The company has not publicly provided a revised delivery date.
”The T1 has been delayed due to the government shutdown. They had to pause everything on the FCC side of things,” the customer service rep said, adding the $499 price has not changed.
Trump Mobile was unveiled in June as a licensing venture that uses the Trump name to sell mobile service and a branded Android handset, the T1 Phone. The device is marketed as a gold-colored smartphone priced at $499, available via preorder with a $100 down payment. It is designed to run on “The 47 Plan,” a $47.45-per-month offering that bundles 5G service with unlimited talk, text, and data, the pricing a nod to Donald Trump’s status as the 45th and 47th U.S. president.
