Trump launches smartphone, attracting widespread follow

On June 16, 2025, Trump announced the launch of the mobile communication brand Trump Mobile and released the first smartphone T1 along with the accompanying communication package "The 47 Plan". Trump emphasized that the brand will use "Made in America" phones and services, offering road assistance, unlimited texting, and other services. This move quickly sparked public debate.

In fact, Trump has previously been involved in the sale of various merchandise, including hats, T-shirts, mugs and other peripheral products on e-commerce platforms. The launch of the smartphone is seen as another expansion of his "traffic monetization" business model.

It is worth noting that the release date of the T1 phone coincides with the tenth anniversary of Trump's first presidential campaign, and its political symbolism is self-evident. This is not just a product launch, but rather a "brand president" self-coronation ceremony.

Product Overview and Marketing Strategy

T1 phone: mid-to-high-end configuration

The T1 phone is priced at $499 and is expected to be released in September 2025. The device features a metal brushed body with an engraved pattern of the American flag, and the screen incorporates Trump's campaign slogan.

In terms of configuration, the T1 features a 6.8-inch AMOLED hole-punch display, a 120 Hz refresh rate, a 5000 mAh battery, 12 GB + 256 GB storage, and runs on Android 15, while retaining a 3.5 mm headphone jack. Overall, the hardware specifications are at a mid-to-high level.

Some netizens pointed out that the T1 is very similar to a well-known brand of smartphone in its lens layout, and jokingly referred to it as "the political version of a high-end smartphone", implying that it is "luxurious on the outside but mediocre at its core."

"The 47 Plan": The Political Metaphor of Communication Packages

Trump Mobile has launched a communication plan called "The 47 Plan," with a monthly fee of $47.45, featuring unlimited calls, texts, and high-speed data, along with additional services such as international calls, roadside assistance, and telemedicine. The name and price of the plan both allude to Trump: he was the 45th president and is now the 47th.

This naming method of "digital symbol politics" is a signature strategy of Trump's personal brand narrative.

target user group

The core users of Trump Mobile target the "die-hard" faction of conservative voters, including middle-aged and elderly conservatives, veterans, and their families. They generally value the symbolic meaning of "Made in America," conservative values, and a focus on national security. This demographic holds a high level of identification with Trump and is a typical "emotion-driven brand" consumer group.

It is expected that Trump Mobile will launch more accessories with the "Loyalist Logo" in the future, forming a "brand merchandise matrix" to achieve continuous monetization through political identification.

Controversy Focus

The authenticity of "Made in America" is under question.

Despite Trump's emphasis that T1 is "designed and manufactured in the United States," it soon faced multiple doubts. Analysts pointed out that the T1 is actually very similar to a smartphone from a certain telecommunications company, which is produced by a Chinese ODM manufacturer.

Experts say that most components used in T1 cannot be manufactured in the United States, and the country currently lacks the capability to establish a complete smartphone industry chain. According to the Federal Trade Commission's regulations on "Made in USA", T1 clearly struggles to meet the relevant standards.

The reasonableness of brand premium is questionable

The pricing of T1 is $499, which is generally a premium of over $150 compared to other Android devices with similar configurations on the market. More importantly, most of its value-added services can be provided by virtual operators in the market at lower prices.

This premium is clearly not a payment for performance, but rather for brand, belief, and identity recognition. From the perspective of "cost performance," this strategy is not reasonable; but from the logic of "tribal consumption," its pricing may actually reinforce brand loyalty.

Business and political relationships spark discussions

Trump is currently both the sitting President of the United States and the symbolic owner of Trump Mobile, with his family business continuously using his political identity in the promotion of the mobile phone, sparking widespread discussion about the "blurring of lines between politics and business."

Some comments suggest that Trump Mobile is becoming the latest link in Trump's "family business machine," continuing the model of converting political influence into retail profitability. In this narrative of "the presidency as a brand," the boundaries between public roles and private interests are increasingly blurred.

Deep Business Logic: Web3 Economic Experiments and "Traffic Mining"

Trump Mobile could be a precursor to a larger "Web3 + political economy" experiment. Some investors speculate that Trump Mobile may come pre-installed with a wallet supporting related cryptocurrencies, allowing for fees to be generated through transactions, and could preload any content they wish to sell.

This "hardware as a wallet" and "mobile as an entry point" strategy is similar to a certain blockchain mobile project. If Trump Mobile replicates this model and launches a reward mechanism similar to "buy a phone and receive tokens" or "airdrop stocks", its phones will no longer just be terminals, but will become "identity tokens" and "entry certificates".

Under this mechanism, consumers are transformed into participants, investors, and even evangelists, evolving from "presidential fans" to "stakeholders," forming a self-driven, fission-like traffic structure.

Conclusion: Political Tool or Market Newcomer?

The birth of Trump Mobile is the latest practice of Trump commercializing the "traffic-brand-asset" pathway.

If it only stays at the level of "private label phones + conservative audience", it may be difficult to avoid the fate of being a "flash in the pan". However, if it continues to promote the integration with the Web3 economic model, promotes equity airdrops, launches related tokens and other rights assets, Trump Mobile is very likely to build a "closed economic ecosystem" that integrates politics, business, finance, and community.

In this process, mobile phones have become "mobile identity tags", political opinions have turned into assets, ballots have been transformed into tokens, and consumers have been integrated into the new narrative system of the Trump brand.

This is certainly not a substitute for a well-known brand smartphone, but rather a spokesperson for a value system. The development prospects of Trump Mobile depend on whether it has truly made that "golden call to the new world."