The Trump Organization has boldly launched Trump Mobile and the T1 phone priced at $499, proclaiming the slogan 'Made in America,' but has been caught by tech experts suspected of being a rebranded Chinese phone. (Background: 'Trump-branded phone' tied to cryptocurrency: Is it a self-serving money machine, or a wealth code imitating Solana?) (Additional context: Trump is selling phones! Launching telecom company Trump Mobile, what highlights does the T1 Phone, touted as made in America, have?) Trump Organization announced its entry into the telecom market yesterday, establishing Trump Mobile, and launched its first smartphone T1 at a pre-order price of $499, claiming it is '100% made in America.' However, after the announcement, tech experts questioned whether this golden-bodied new phone is simply a rebranded version manufactured by Chinese company Wingtech, rendering the Trump family's 'America First' slogan a falsehood. $499 T1: Ordinary specs, brand hype first According to official sources, Trump Mobile is operated by Trump's sons Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr., promoting the 'The 47 Plan' monthly subscription: $47.45 for unlimited calls, texts, and data, plus roadside assistance and telemedicine. In terms of hardware, the T1 features 256 GB of storage, expected to debut in August and ship in September, with a $100 deposit required for pre-order. The back is printed with the Stars and Stripes and the T1 logo, giving a sense of 'Trump merchandise.' The words 'Made in America' have been challenged However, just as the Trump Organization assured that the T1 would be produced in Alabama, California, and Florida, tech analyst Max Weinbach pointed out in a post on X that the T1 and the Wingtech-made T-Mobile REVVL 7 Pro look almost identical in appearance and camera configuration; the latter sells for only $169 after discounts on Amazon. This price difference raised suspicions about the T1's origin and cost. And the answer is… Wingtech REVVL 7 Pro 5G! Same device as the T-Mobile REVVL 7 Pro 5G, custom body. Wingtech, now owned by Luxshare, makes it in Jiaxing, Wuxi, or Kunming China https://t.co/KFS3WtMF5O — Max Weinbach (@MaxWinebach) June 16, 2025 Additionally, Apple Insider bluntly stated: 'The T1 is definitely not designed and assembled in America, just modified in America.' Cost reality: Dreaming of manufacturing, wallets hurt first Tinglong Dai, a professor at Johns Hopkins University, estimated in an interview with The Independent that building a complete supply chain for a similar T1 in America would take at least five years. The only phone that proudly claims to be made entirely in America, the Purism phone, approaches $2,000, highlighting the pressure of high wages and component dependencies on costs. In other words, if a 'purely American-bred' phone can be bought for $499, it might just be a marketing tactic by the Trump Organization. Whether the Trump family can fulfill their 'America First' promise with the T1 will be seen after its September launch; however, consumers might need to confirm before placing an order whether the golden exterior truly represents the Stars and Stripes or a 'Made in China' label.