Trump Mobile Phone Review: My Long Weekend With The Golden T1

Almost a year since its announcement, and nine months after its planned launch, the Trump phone has finally arrived — albeit looking different to the one originally unveiled.

The Trump phone, officially known as the Trump Mobile T1, arrived with us this week. CNET placed a preorder back with a $100 deposit back in June 2025, and it’s worth noting that Trump Mobile expedited our shipment so that we could review the T1. (It’s typical for a phone company to set aside review units for journalists, but Trump Mobile did not do this.)

Trump Mobile launched in June 2025 with a $47.45-a-month mobile phone plan, and announced that the T1 would be made in the US and launch in August 2025. But when it became obvious that domestic large-scale smartphone manufacturing would not be possible, Trump Mobile dropped the “made in the US” claim, and delayed the launch. 

Last month, a redesigned Trump Mobile website finally showcased a new-looking T1 phone, its third redesign. It followed Trump Mobile executives showing off a handset they said was a near-production version of the T1 phone to The Verge in early February. 

The Android phone was delayed due to production issues, the company said last week, when it confirmed the handset would begin shipping to customers.

“The technology business is more difficult than some may realize, as parts must be tested for quality assurances,” Trump Mobile CEO Pat O’Brien said in a statement to CNET last week. “We have experienced delays during a variety of steps in getting the T1 to completion, but those delays were worth it in our minds as we are delivering an amazing product.”

This long weekend, I’ll be testing the phone in a real-world environment, using it as my main phone during the Memorial Day long weekend. I’ll live blog my experiences as I go, updating with any anecdotes or tests I run.