Trump Mobile’s golden phone remains nowhere to be found

A golden phone that President Donald Trump's family business promised to release last year remains mysteriously under wraps as the technology industry serves up a glut of new gadgets at CES in Las Vegas this week.

When the Trump Organization launched a mobile phone service last June, it was supposed to be a stage setter for a new smartphone bathed in gold with a $500 price tag - a bargain compared to Apple's latest iPhone models that sell for anywhere from $800 to $1,200. The newly formed Trump Mobile targeted its T1 phone for an August or September release.

What's more, Trump Mobile initially hailed T1 as a device that would be "proudly designed and built in the United States for customers who expect the best."

But both the T1's shipping date and U.S. manufacturing ambitions gradually began to shift, even as Trump Mobile continues to accept $100 deposits for the device.

Not long after announcing the device, Trump Mobile pivoted from describing it as phone that would be made in the U.S. to framing it as a device that would be "proudly American." Trump Mobile's website now touts the T1 as having an "American-proud" design, with no further explanation.

Analysts believed that the shift stemmed from a recognition that the U.S. lacked the supply chain and other logistics required to make a smartphone for less than $1,000 - the same hurdles that made it implausible for Apple to acquiesce to President Trump's demands that the company move its iPhone manufacturing from China and India.

Later in the summer, Trump Mobile also became more vague about when the T1 would become available, but still indicated it would be delivered to customers who paid the $100 deposit by the end of 2025. Trump Mobile's website continues to list the T1's targeted release date as "later this year."

The Trump Organization didn't respond to inquiries from The Associated Press about the delays or when the device is now expected to be shipped. The Financial Times recently reported that it was told by a customer representative for Trump Mobile that the phone will be shipped in late January and attributed its delayed release to the 43-day shutdown of the federal government last year.

Whatever the reason, the T1's ongoing absence from the smartphone market didn't come as a surprise to International Data Corp. analyst Francisco Jeronimo.

"We have always been quite skeptical about this phone," Jeronimo said. "They are probably finding that it is harder to build a phone than they thought it would be. Let's see if this thing comes to life or not."

While the T1 has remained in a holding pattern, Trump Mobile has been selling its wireless service for $47.45 per month - a price tied to Donald Trump's titles as the 47th and 45th President. For customers looking for a smartphone that they can use sooner rather than later, Trump Mobile is also selling refurbished versions of older iPhones and Samsung's Galaxy models at prices ranging from $370 to $630.

"Maybe they changed their strategy and figured out they are better off just selling refurbished phones," Jeronimo said.