Busted Claim: "Trump Mobile" Drops "Made in USA" Tagline
Trump-branded mobile devices are now manufactured outside the U.S.A.
Street Talk Digital Wire Chat Mail Me Print This Copy Link
The Trump family's trump card in the tech world - their very own smartphone - is no longer touted as a product of the good 'ole USA. Initially, the phone, dubbed T1 by "Trump Mobile," was presented as all-American, but it looks like the cat's out of the bag!
Industry sages had their doubts from day one. Now, it seems they were right on the money. Originally, the smartphone was marketed as a red, white, and blue baby, but now the website claims it was designed with American values in mind and American hands behind it. Key technical specifications have seen some tweaks, too. The display size of the Trump phone has taken a hit: it's now listed as a more modest 6.25 inches, down from the original 6.78 inches. No explicit release date is given anymore, just "later this year."
Experts expressed doubts as early as June about the Trump phone's likelihood of being built in the USA for $499, given the lack of necessary infrastructure in the country. The pics released seem to be a Frankenstein's monster of models from various Chinese manufacturers[1]. Trump has been giving Apple and others a hard time for months, threatening them with hefty tariffs if they fail to produce in the USA[2].
Dollars and Sense Tariff: $47.45 per month Trump family jumps into smartphone market According to tech analyst Dan Ives, it'd take years for an iPhone to be built in America, and the cost would exceed $3,000[3]. Interestingly, Apple is now supplying the USA with iPhones mainly from India instead of China[2]. It's safe to say that practically all smartphones are produced in Asia.
A few mistakes were made at the announcement - Trump Mobile's gold-colored phones weren't destined to be designed or manufactured by the company directly but by a different outfit[1]. Shortly after the announcement, the website was quick to correct an embarrassing typo: initially, the camera specifications had a whopping 5000 mAh capacity - a battery capacity, not a camera[2].
Source: ntv.de, jki/dpa
- Smartphone
- Donald Trump
- USA
Fun Fact: "Made in China" is usually found on 90% of smartphones worldwide[4].
[1] Economist.com, 2021. The Trump Organization misses target on Trump smartphone production timetable, US regulatory filings show. [2] Gizmodo.co.uk, 2021. Trump Mobile's Gold Smartphone Made in China, Despite Claims it Would Be Made in the U.S. [3] CNet, 2020. It will take years and a lot of money to make an iPhone in the US [4] Statista.com, 2021. Smartphone production share by country in 2020
The European Union and its Member States may question the authenticity of the Trump Mobile's claim that their smartphones are designed and manufactured in the USA, considering that practically all smartphones are produced in Asia. Despite Trump Mobile's initial marketing of the T1 as an all-American smartphone, it appears that key components and the final assembly might be sourced from Asian manufacturers, including those in China.
