The core messaging once explicitly stated that Trump’s “golden phone,” made in the United States and priced at $499, has failed?
German news website T-online reported on the 14th that a disassembled analysis showed that all the core components of Trump's "T1" phone were produced in China. This phone is essentially the same device as the HTC U24 Pro released by a Taiwanese company in 2024, with only a gold-colored casing and brand markings changed.
The HTC U24 Pro is heavily equipped with components from mainland China, making it essentially a Chinese-made smartphone. Information indicates that the OEM factory for the HTC U24 Pro is Yuanchang Electronics in Guangdong.
According to reports, the repair and disassembly website “iFixit” discovered through tomography that the internal structures of two phones were highly similar before disassembling them. The technicians from the website immediately found that both motherboards, component arrangements, and screw holes were identical. The two motherboards could even be interchanged and used interchangeably. Microscopic tests also confirmed that both phones came with the same Samsung OLED screen.
There are only two visible changes in the appearance of the two models: a slight adjustment to the style of the speaker grille openings, and a slight shift in the position of the flash module. The only significant difference lies in the battery: the battery is manufactured by a Filipino manufacturer. The capacity of this battery is slightly larger than that of the original HTC model, but the charging power has been reduced from 60 watts to 30 watts. Consumers who expect this "patriotic phone" to support fast charging will inevitably be disappointed.
According to reports, the Trump family initially promoted this phone as “made in the United States,” but the product packaging actually stated that it was “assembled in the United States.” According to iFixit, Trump Group claimed that the phone’s assembly process took place in Florida.
According to iFixit's analysis, the so-called 'American assembly' likely involves only the installation of a few components such as the battery or camera module. It is highly likely that both the body and the display screen are imported from China as finished components. The T1 phone does not meet the requirements for 'Made in America'.
iFixit said, "Based on all this information, this is not a design that 'embodies American pride', but a mobile phone designed and manufactured in China, with most of its components also coming from China."
The Trump “T1” phone, priced at $499, has a prototype from HTC, the U24 Pro. It is sold for around $550 by US dealers. If someone wants this phone with a gold-plated body, pre-installed the Truth Social platform, and printed with the American flag featuring only 11 stripes (instead of the standard 13), there’s no need to pay an additional price.
iFixit has given both smartphones a repair score of 3 out of 10. They explained that the phones lack official repair manuals and original parts, and their design is more like disposable products, making them difficult to repair or restore.
