Trump Mobile will apparently run as a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), like Mint Mobile, whitelisting T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon networks. For the flat fee of $47.45 a month, punters get "The 47 Plan."

Trump spawn and executive Eric Trump took to the airwaves on Fox Business to flog the T1. "International calling in hundreds of countries for free" and a phone made "one-hundred percent in America" were among his pie-in-the-sky promises.

He added, "We are going to be introducing an entire package of products where people can come and they can get telemedicine on their phones for one flat monthly fee, roadside assistance on their cars, unlimited texting to 100 countries around the world."

Just how this magical all-American phone is supposed to emerge from a global supply chain involving Taiwanese chips, Korean displays, and African tin was not explained. The idea that it could all be conjured up domestically in time for a September release is laughable.

So far, Trump Mobile has refused to say much beyond insisting the phone is "made in America" when pressed by Laptop Mag. That probably means assembly in the US, but with the same parts as any other mid-tier Android slab.

Specs for the Trump T1 are middle-of-the-road: a 6.8-inch AMOLED display, 12GB RAM, 256GB storage with expansion, a 50MP rear camera, Android 15, and a 5,000mAh battery. It sports a 3.5mm headphone jack, presumably to appeal to the MAGA faithful who still own wired earbuds.

Pre-orders went live this week, asking $499 with a $100 deposit. Journalist Joseph Cox at 404 Media reported getting charged $64.70 instead, without ever entering a shipping address. Some phones will be new, others refurbished, according to an anonymous source.

This isn't Trump’s first crack at the smartphone game. The 2021 Freedom Phone also cost $499, claiming to be a privacy-first Android device. PC Mag noted it looked like a Chinese knock-off listed on AliExpress for $119. The Daily Beast had the same suspicion.