Product image via trumpmobile.com
June 16, 2025
Will Trump Mobile Be Successful?
When it comes to the oft-trending news topics surrounding President Donald Trump, tariff policy and sound bites have typically dominated headlines.
On June 16, however, much of the hubbub tied to the president was linked to the announcement of a new mobile network, deemed Trump Mobile, as The Verge outlined.
According to a Trump Organization press release shared today, the T1 Mobile service will emphasize an all-American theme that aligns with the current administration’s political messaging. More concretely, The Verge reports that it is “powered by Liberty Mobile,” a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), using the T-Mobile network.
“I’m incredibly excited to step into this new digital space, hard-working Americans deserve a wireless service that’s affordable, reflects their values, and delivers reliable quality they can count on. We’re especially proud to offer free long-distance calling to our military members and their families — because those serving overseas should always be able to stay connected to the people they love back home,” Eric Trump, EVP of The Trump Organization, stated in the release.
The flagship 47 Plan being put forth by Trump Mobile, at the cost of $47.45, features: unlimited talk, text, and data; device protection; 24/7 roadside assistance via Drive America; telehealth services, including virtual care, mental health support, and ordering as well as delivery of prescription medications; free international calling to more than 100 nations; and no contracts or credit checks.
Trump Mobile Shows Off Gold T1 Phone, Built in the United States
Alongside the T1 Mobile service itself, Trump Mobile is also offering a made-in-America smartphone at a retail price of $499.
With a flashy gold exterior, the product page gives a few more details about the T1 smartphone, which could be available at any time between August and September of this year.
A brushed gold exterior is emblazoned with a T1 logo and an icon representing the U.S. flag, and the T1 smartphone also appears to boast a triple camera layout hinging around a 50-megapixel main camera. The phone will ostensibly also house 12 gigabytes of RAM, feature a 6.78-inch display, host a 5,000 mAh battery, and even accommodate a 3.5mm headphone jack. The T1 smartphone is rumored to run on Android 15, as of this writing.
A down payment of $100 is required to reserve a T1 smartphone.
“Trump Mobile is going to change the game, we’re building on the movement to put America first, and we will deliver the highest levels of quality and service. Our company is based right here in the United States because we know it’s what our customers want and deserve,” Donald Trump Jr., a second EVP of The Trump Organization, said of the launch.
However, as The Verge underscored, there could be some friction created by the question of how FCC chairman Brendan Carr might be tasked with regulating a network so closely tied to President Trump himself.
Discussion Questions
Will Trump Mobile prove successful? Why or why not?
What differentiators could prove beneficial for Trump Mobile to leverage, and conversely, which headwinds might prove a significant obstacle to it gaining market share in a saturated segment?
Will the made-in-America appeal of the T1 smartphone garner sales, or are people ultimately more concerned with price point, functionality, and brand when it comes to purchasing?
Poll
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Doug Garnett
President, Protonik
Gary Sankary
Retail Industry Strategy, Esri
Mark Ryski
Founder, CEO & Author, HeadCount Corporation
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I am sure some Trump fans will love this. Others will absolutely hate it. But most will just ignore it. I can’t see most folks buying a phone just because it has Trump on it. Nor switching mobile service. There is such inertia in cellphone plan switching, and I don’t see what differentiation is being offered here to change that.
Also, is this really a retail story or are we using it as clickbait to drive traffic?
Welcome to the Cynics Club!
(QOD: if Trump backs an AI platform, will RW have only one post on it, or two?)
This whole thing stinks to me. Having any President use his/her notoriety and influence to generate revenue is a conflict of interest. What next, legislation against other phone manufacturers? Or perhaps, pressuring carriers to offer the Trump mobile or face an investigation? There’s little doubt that some people will buy Trump Mobile – I suspect it’s the same people that bought his vodka, steaks, and bibles, but I doubt that it will be successful in the broader market.
“What Mark said…”
So much for the emoluments clause.
There’s going to be a lot of people holding bricked phones before this is done. Who knows, maybe they’ll be collector’s items in the future.
Just no. And I have to second Neil’s question. Some of us prefer not to see his face and only talk about the impact his administration has on ordinary people.
A more interesting question, if we have to ask about him is, what will be the impact on grocery prices of the “”promise” of leaving migrant workers in farms, poultry, hotels and landscaping alone.
That will at least have a retail impact. This is just dumb
“Promise” already broken. Yes, we should be having a discussion about what happens when most of the meatpacking plants are shut down due to lack of staff.
Purely as a cell customer, I pay $60/month for two all you can use phones through Spectrum via Verizon’s network with two fairly new phones, I wouldn’t budge from where I’m at. As I voter, we need more than two horrible options each election cycle. As a father of 4, I’m hoping this madness ages out for my kids sake. Lastly, as a human, I can’t wait until I’m mature enough to no longer have a cell phone.
I’m sure if you ask Trump after the phone’s launch, it will turn out to be the greatest success in the history of telecommunications. (So it’s hard to answer the question if facts about the phone’s and service’s sales are nowhere to be found.) The most interesting angle on this story can be found at the Wall Street Journal: Their tech experts agree that a 100% “made in USA” cellphone ready for market by this August is an impossibility because of the supply chain and manufacturing issues involved.
“Everything Trump touches dies.” That book title by Rick Wilson was not just a political observation… although it was that as well. The history of his business empire is riddled with failures, and our nation did not need another wireless phone carrier. Will loyalists, who buy into all of his graft, buy some? Of course, they will. The existing carriers that are supporting this rebranded program are likely just going along to avoid the hate that would have followed a “no” from their leadership. However nothing about this is better than an existing option in total, and like I said about our industry broadly “Retailing is best left to professionals”. That includes the wireless phone segment to be sure.
Ditto, what Scott said. The track record here is not a strong one, so while there are certainly some fans who will no doubt buy into this, it seems very unlikely it will reach a profitable scale. Plus, the idea that this smartphone can be built in the US and sold for $499 and be profitable seems extremely unlikely by Aug/Sept of this year, if ever. This looks to be purely another vanity project that is unlikely to succeed.
That said, it goes without saying that this is something very likely to be found unconstitutional if it ever gets challenged. For any U.S. president to use their name in such a glaringly profiteering manner is not only a bad look for the country, but surely goes against the emoluments clause.
It is likely that anything provided in Trump’s name will succeed. He is not only a powerful president of the United States, but also a premium brand.
With its brand recognition and association with a popular president, Trump Mobile has the potential to attract a dedicated MAGA customer base.
Additionally, it could focus on providing unique features such as enhanced privacy protections or exclusive content deals that align with its target audiences’ values.
However, it may face significant challenges from established competitors with larger networks and more extensive resources.
Maybe a few diehard supporters will buy in, but if he is such a premium brand then Trump Airlines, Trump Steaks. Trump Vodka, Trump Casinos, etc. would still be around.
Enhanced privacy? It seems more likely that customer data would be monetized to the highest order to be bombarded with text notifications to buy hats, shirts, Bibles, guitars, watches, NFTs, coffee table books, crypto, condos, etc. etc.
Add to all of these points, nothing stated in its feature set is new or revolutionary or unavailable at a lower price point from competitors. Essentially no market-driven reasons for anyone to buy. Retail fundamentals still matter to drive product success!
Let the lying begin. This phone is absolutely NOT made in the USA. It also admits to not having 5G. That said, it will be the perfect accessory for those elderly doyennes at Mar-A-Lago.
They hate him on Palm Beach. The elderly doyennes were offended at what he did to Marjorie Post’s estate, including the parking lot. I remember driving through there before he bought it. Then I saw an aerial view last week. Yuck!
Cannot imagine this working. In part, there are already excellent options for this type of service – like that provided by USCellular. Simple, lower cost, etc. There is no market reason for this to exist. And we seem to forget about the core importance of market value. Without it, this idea is no more than a brief gimmick.
For what it’s worth, just this morning Shira Ovide at WaPo put out her review trying to use this service. In addition to charges which don’t make sense, it hadn’t yet worked for her. https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2025/06/17/trump-mobile-phone-signup-wireless-service/
How big a font can I get for the word G R I F T …??? Will there be special apps to buy hats and t-shirts and gold shoes…??? Oh, oh…and we’ll need an app to buy cryptocurrency as well. What took them so long…???
How is it possible we are having this conversation in the USA in the year 2025? And if these phones will “eventually” be made in the USA, then for now they are being made in…??? Same tariffs as Apple…??? Hmmmmmm…???
Retail succeeds when it solves real problems for real people. While the other Retailwire story on RFID does that, this one is performative theater where marketing is writing checks that the supply chain cannot fulfill. The mobile phone sector is highly competitive, characterized by high switching costs. Additionally, the infrastructure for a 100% made-in-the-USA mobile phone does not exist at the proposed price point. What good is brand recognition when product-market fit is so questionable?
Let’s see- Trump Airlines, Trump Steaks. Trump University, Trump Vodka, Trump Mortgage, Trump Casinos, Trump Media Group… Outside of real estate and being a TV personality, the President doesn’t have a track record that says “winner.” Some fans will likely buy into this. I’m sorry for them, this is a drifting exercise, and like most Trump products and PACS, his most loyal followers are going to wind up a little poorer for it.
You stole my response.
I am happy to share my friend.
Like Trump Air, it will take off, then crash.
Let’s see. Apple, Samsung, Nokia, Google, Motorola, and Trump. Which one doesn’t fit?
I guess there are people out there who will pick their mobile phones the same way they vote.
He’s monetizing more touchpoints than Amazon Ads.
No. Everything Trump Touches Dies.
Outside of the name, what significant differential advantages are offered? None. Next Trumpian offering? Hot dogs, baby diapers, incontinence products???All might better fit the Trump marketing machine.
This would be a new cell phone product from a brand without any portable-tech background that’s known to underdeliver in watches, steaks, and casinos. While I’m certain some of his fans will purchase the phone, I don’t see a consumer market or growth beyond the fans.
It should launch successfully for a small segment of customers who value the added feature sets and benefits (beyond their political affiliation) like telehealth, device protection, roadside assistance.
But the jury is out on larger market of users jumping in. Most will want more evidence of performance, and are likely cautious about switching from Apple to Android. Any company entering the mobile market today has to have a clear differentiation set over the current options.
No, no, no. Trying to become an MVNO in a few months, get a phone “made in the USA” in less than 2 months, and then offer it for a $500 price point? Incredible lies with no supporting evidence. However the only phone made in the USA is the Liberty Phone and it sells for $2000. Yeah, MVNOs piggy back on existing carriers and sell their services at a discount to attract customers to use their service. Mint Mobile, Boost Mobile, Consumer Cellular, Tello.com, Visible, etc. are all MVNOs that offer their full services for less than $25 per month. Why would anyone pay double that for a Trump MVNO?This is a very competitive category and I have worked with manufacturers and suppliers for over 30 years in this space, and my experience and expertise in this area just screams more lies and broken promises.