Earlier this week, The Trump T1 Organisation announced the introduction of its own mobile phone service, Trump Mobile, as well as its first smartphone.
The surprised world was even treated to a peek of the T1, which appears to be either a gorgeous bar of gold bullion or a low-quality representation of a yellow phone, depending on your perspective. Its main distinguishing features are an irregular bezel and an unusual arrangement of camera lenses spaced farther apart than a deer’s eyes.
But what if you want all the glitz of a T1 without spending $499, or if you live in Europe and are unclear whether one of these beauties would ever be available to you? Don’t worry, we’ll show you how to manufacture your own Trump-branded cell phone for less.
This is what you’ll need.
1. A budget handset
Finding a T1-comparable phone is the first step.
The phone’s specifications, or at least part of them, are available on the recently opened Trump Mobile website. It’s strange that there is no information about the phone’s processor, as that will determine how responsive the device is and how well it can manage demanding tasks. The user experience depends on it. But with a magnificent gold (colored) phone, who needs a top-notch user experience? So don’t worry about it.
Here are the key specs we do know:
- 6.8-inch AMOLED screen
- 120Hz refresh rate
- 50Mp main camera
- 5000mAh battery
- 256GB internal storage
While many less expensive phones offer the same or better features, none of these would seem out of place on a $499 phone.
According to leaker Max Weinbach, the T1 is modeled around Wingtech’s Revvl 7 Pro. But according to GSMArena comparisons, the phone is probably a cross between this and the standard Revvl 7.
The good news is that the Revvl 7 and Revvl 7 Pro are only £162 and $218, respectively, while the T1 is £372 and $499.
Unfortunately, PCMag merely described the Revvl 7 Pro as “a decent affordable phone.”
Treat yourself, we say. The MSRP of the Samsung Galaxy A35 from the previous year was £339/$399.99.
That’s still a lot less than the T1, and it has similar, or better, features and a user experience we can attest to:
- One UI 6.1 (based on Android 14) with software updates until 2029
- 6.6-inch display, 2340×1080, AMOLED, 120Hz refresh rate
- In-display fingerprint sensor
- Exynos 1380 processor
- 6GB RAM
- 128GB storage
- Cameras:
- 50Mp main sensor
- 8Mp ultrawide
- 5Mp macro
- 13Mp selfie camera
- Up to 4K @ 30fps rear video
- Dual-SIM
- Micro-SD card slot
- 5000mAh battery
- 25W charging
- 161.7 x 78.0 x 8.2 mm
- IP67 water and dust resistance
2. A picture of a flag
It’s unclear from the Trump T1 render why the clock appears twice on the home screen and whether the proud T1 owner will have a selection of patriotic wallpapers.
We cannot guarantee that you will be able to recreate these features exactly, therefore you might only see the time displayed on your phone once. However, you are more than halfway there if you can capture a fuzzy image of a flag.
3. A gold phone case
However, until it gleams like a spray-tanned jowl, it isn’t a Trump phone. For just £2.55, you can purchase this “stylish and elegant” gold case from Temu.
For a more realistic experience, invest £4.19 on a can of gold spray paint from Amazon, and your phone will still whisper class (or a word that sounds similar), even when the cover is removed.
Total cost
According to our calculations, you shouldn’t pay more than £205/$275 for a DIY Trump phone kit. If you go with the mid-range Samsung Galaxy A35, we believe it should cost around £350/$410, even with a can of spray paint included.
But isn’t the Trump phone manufactured in the US?
But wait, you’re almost definitely not thinking: isn’t the T1’s sole goal to be “Proudly Made in America”?
Well, no. According to Wired, there is just one phone built wholly in America (proudly or not), and that is Purism’s Liberty Phone, which costs roughly $2,000. Leaker Max Weinbach, who speculated the T1 could be based on the Wingtech Revvl 7 Pro, believes it will be manufactured in one of three Chinese towns.
And if you truly believe the Trump T1 would feature a similar unique production process at a mid-range price, I have another gold phone to sell you.
In actuality, Eric Trump later clarified that the manufacturing claim was more of a hope, saying, “Eventually, all phones can be built in the United States of America.”
