Trump's T1 Phone Identified as Reskinned HTC U24 Pro by iFixit Teardown
The $499 T1 "Trump Phone," promoted as "Made in the USA" and later "Assembled in the USA," has been identified by iFixit as a rebranded HTC U24 Pro. Teardowns conducted in collaboration with NBC News concluded that the device is a gold-painted version of the 2024 HTC model, which originates from a Taiwanese company and likely utilizes Chinese design and supply chains. Independent analysis by Quinn Nelson of Snazzy Labs also detailed reported issues with the purchasing experience.
The $499 T1 "Trump Phone," initially promoted with claims of being "Made in the USA" and an original shipping target of September 2025, has reportedly been identified as a reskinned HTC U24 Pro. The manufacturing claim was later updated to "Assembled in the USA." After experiencing several delays, the first T1 phones are now shipping.
iFixit, in collaboration with NBC News, performed a teardown of the T1 phone. Their examination, which included CT scans and side-by-side comparisons, led to the conclusion that the T1 is a gold-painted version of the 2024 HTC U24 Pro. The HTC U24 Pro is a device from a Taiwanese company, which iFixit suggests likely uses design and supply chains predominantly from mainland China.
Regarding the "Assembled in the USA" claim, iFixit indicated that this could refer to the assembly of pre-sourced subassemblies or that the phone might have been assembled in Guangdong, China, similar to other U24 Pro units. The teardown team characterized the phone as being designed in China, made in China, with the vast majority of its components sourced from China.
Separately, Quinn Nelson of Snazzy Labs published a video documenting his experience with ordering, unboxing, and tearing down the T1 phone. Nelson reported difficulties during the buying process, including pre-order emails arriving in spam folders and issues encountered while attempting to pay for a related mobile plan.
(Source: Slashdot)
