Trump Mobile and the T1 Phone Don't Make Any Sense, Even for Trump Fans

The Trump Organization launched its own Trump Mobile phone service and a gold-colored $499 T1 Phone on Monday, and while we often see new whitelabeled phone services or phones themed after influential people, this announcement leaves a lot of unanswered questions that you normally should know the answers to before buying a phone plan and a new device. 

Trump Mobile's T1 Phone, and every way it's misspelled

Starting with the T1 phone itself, the new device has a specs list that doesn't make sense. A phone's processor is one of its key selling points, but under the "Processor & RAM" on the Trump Mobile site, a processor isn't listed at all. The storage and memory specs are mixed up, listing the RAM as 12GB of storage and the memory as 256GB of internal storage. There's no such thing as a "Punch-Hole AMOLED" display, but it appears that's what Trump Mobile's website refers to as the space for the front-facing camera. That display is apparently either 6.8 inches or 6.78 -- who's to say? And the "5,000mAh long life camera" probably should be referring to a battery, but if we take the description at face value, it is referencing the 50-megapixel main camera somehow.

In terms of specs that are better spelled out, there's an in-screen fingerprint sensor, the 5,000-mAh battery recharges at 20-watt speeds, and the phone includes a headphone jack. Accompanying the 50-megapixel main camera is a 2-megapixel macro camera, a 2-megapixel depth sensor and the "Front Cameras" is a single 16-megapixel selfie camera.

There's no reference to where the phone is assembled, although the main Trump Mobile site exclaims, "Our MADE IN THE USA 'T1 Phone' is available for pre-order now." That's particularly eye-opening given that this type of phone -- no manufacturer is named -- is not currently manufactured anywhere in the US. If it does turn out to be a phone made outside the US, the constantly fluctuating US tariffs are expected to increase the cost of electronics. (Analyst Max Weinbach did some sleuthing and thinks the phone is actually the Chinese-made Wingtech REVVL 7 Pro 5G, which you can buy for $169.)

If you're wondering when the release date is, good luck getting a straight answer. It's either "Coming Soon" in August or September, depending on whether you're looking at the press release or the website, respectively. And if you do buy it, hopefully you'll love it, because, according to the terms, "All sales are final and non-refundable" unless otherwise determined on a case-by-case basis. To preorder a T1 Phone costs $100 (or less, if the ordering system is working).

I have to level with you: I wouldn't give a company $500 if it can't even list the most basic product information correctly on a page that was clearly thrown together hastily -- much less without any sort of refund policy.

A 5,000mAh camera doesn't exist.

Trump Organization/Screenshot

Trump Mobile's phone service has many unanswered questions

While it is attention-grabbing, it's not all that surprising to see the Trump Organization launch a mobile service. The organization itself has a history of running through lots of different businesses, and other politically bent digital services also have a long history. In 2014, for instance, former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin launched her own streaming service at $10 a month following an initial stint of reality TV hosting and then shuttered it after a year.

Trump Mobile, however, appears to have launched with a plan that uses its namesake's presidency as its selling point, as opposed to introducing it as a good deal for consumers. There's one plan named The 47 Plan, which costs $47.45 simply to coincide with President Donald Trump's status as the 45th and 47th president of the United States. We don't know what carriers Trump Mobile runs on, but the website claims it's "working on all three major carriers." The plan includes "Device Protection" but adds an asterisk that the protection is not insurance, nor does it clarify what it will protect about your device. It also mentions roadside assistance provided by Drive America and telehealth services provided by Doctegrity, which offers "contactless blood pressure [and] heart rate monitoring" -- services that Doctegrity may cover, but which likely are not directly tied to the phone. We've reached out to Trump Mobile for clarification on these features.

Like with the T1 Phone page, the 47 Plan page includes questionable references and misspellings. Specifically, after checking if your phone is compatible, "then all you need to purchase is a plan that best fits your needs," but there's only one plan. There are no other choices. And you can check that compatibility by "Go into Setting on your Phone" listing both "for Iphone" and the correctly spelled "for Android" steps. 

One other step is a bit of a throwback: It asks for you to "Remove your phone's battery" to look for the IMEI on a sticker. And trust me, I miss user-replaceable phone batteries too, but nowadays getting battery access requires a rather complicated self-service repair kit.

While we haven't tested Trump Mobile, it's again hard to argue that creating a business relationship like buying cellphone service might not be the best idea when the seller doesn't appear to have their information organized for potential customers.

The Pixel 9A costs the same as the T1 Phone, is available now and is likely a better device for your needs.

James Martin/CNET

Better deals than Trump Mobile and the T1 Phone

There are many better phones that cost $500 or less, and cellphone providers are offering unlimited data plans for less than $47.45.

If you need a phone for $500, Google's $499 Pixel 9A includes seven years of software support, comes in nice colors like Iris purple, works with nearly every carrier (likely including Trump Mobile) and is available for sale here and now. It runs on a Google Tensor G4 processor. Motorola's Moto G and Samsung's Galaxy A lines also provide lots of options for even less money.

On the mobile network side, the sky's almost the limit when it comes to value-oriented carriers. Verizon's Visible, T-Mobile's Mint Mobile and AT&T's Cricket offer plans that are as low as $25 a month for comparable unlimited benefits. And if you want to break away from the big three carriers, Dish's Boost Mobile has been building out a new fourth network that's using price to draw in new customers.

There are just so many options for buying a phone and mobile service that put a better foot forward. And with a selling point primarily based around Trump's fans, it's quite possible that someone's going to sign up for a service and a phone for fandom rather than actually getting a good deal. And even worse, no refunds either.