"Made in USA" Label Removed
Changed to "Designed with American Values in Mind"
The American mobile carrier brand "Trump Mobile" has removed the "Made in USA" label from its upcoming smartphone "T1 8002." Trump Mobile is an MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator) service run by the Trump Organization, the family business of U.S. President Donald Trump.
According to CNN on June 26 (local time), Trump Mobile revised the pre-order information for the T1 phone, which is scheduled for release in September this year, on its website around June 22. The company deleted the phrase "Made in USA" and replaced it with "Designed with American values in mind."
CNN reported, "The revision came after industry experts questioned whether the smartphone was actually made in the United States," adding, "Experts pointed out that the specifications of this smartphone are similar to those of products from Chinese manufacturers."
Nevertheless, a Trump Mobile spokesperson told CNN, "The T1 phone is proudly manufactured in the United States," and stated, "Any speculation to the contrary is simply inaccurate."
Previously, the Trump Group unveiled a gold-colored phone priced at $499 (approximately 680,000 KRW), emphasizing that it was "proudly designed and manufactured in the United States." In addition, at the official launch event held at Trump Tower on June 16, Trump Mobile partner Pat O'Brien said, "We are going to make a phone that will be manufactured in the United States." However, in an interview, President Trump's son Eric Trump took a more cautious tone, stating, "Ultimately, we hope to be able to make all phones in the United States."
Ryan Reith, Vice President at international market research firm IDC, told CNN, "Terms like 'designed' or 'manufactured' are very ambiguous, making it difficult to determine which processes actually took place in the United States." For example, Apple designs the iPhone in California, but assembly takes place in countries like China and India, and components are sourced from around the world.
Currently, the Trump Mobile website introduces the smartphone as having been "brought to life right here in the USA." However, Vice President Reith emphasized, "There is no smartphone that is made entirely in the United States from start to finish."
Some specifications of the T1 8002 have also changed. According to the website, the screen size has been reduced from the original 6.78 inches to 6.25 inches. CNN noted, "This is as noticeable a change as the difference between the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro Max," and pointed out, "It is highly unusual for a smartphone's screen size to change after its announcement."
The memory specification (a component that stores application data and affects multitasking performance) is also currently not listed.
Previously, CNN reported that T1 is similar to the already released LeveL 7 Pro 5G model, citing Todd Weaver, CEO of Purism, and Max Weinbach, an analyst at market research firm Creative Strategies. This model is manufactured by Chinese company Wingtech and is sold on Amazon for about $169 (approximately 230,000 KRW).
The launch of Trump Mobile comes as President Trump is urging tech companies such as Apple and Samsung to manufacture their products in the United States. This is part of a broader movement to expand the "reshoring" of manufacturing jobs. However, experts believe that, especially given the promised September launch date, large-scale smartphone production in the United States is virtually impossible.
CEO Weaver said, "Unless the Trump family has secretly built a secure production line in the United States over the years without anyone knowing, it is impossible to fulfill this promise at this time."
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