Now that the Trump Mobile T1 phone is out in the wild, it was only a matter of time before someone tore it apart … literally. Renowned smartphone demolition and repair community iFixit conducted a full teardown to reveal exactly what’s inside Trump’s gilded gadget, finally answering whether it’s truly American-made.Imitation is the sincerest form of flatteryAt first glance, the Trump Mobile T1 phone looks awfully familiar, especially to users hailing from Taiwan and certain regions in Europe. Its silhouette closely resembles a phone from 2024, albeit with some notable tweaks. As it turns out, Trump Mobile did the right thing.The camera bump is wider, with “TRUMP MOBILE” emblazoned proudly on the side. The speaker grills at the bottom are circular for a more refined aesthetic.The backplate is stamped with a bold American flag and finished with more Trump Mobile insignia for good measure. Then all of it is wrapped in gold paint that is quintessentially Trump.Aside from those key changes, the phone appears to be an HTC U24 Pro, and thanks to iFixit, we know why.Under the hoodIt’s one thing for a phone to look similar to another on the outside, but the inside tells the full story. All devices have unique component layouts meant to perfectly fit the processor, battery, camera array, speakers, and cooling system down to the micrometer. No two layouts are alike, unless the phones are the same.The verdict? Trump Mobile T1 (L); HTC U24 Pro/iFixit (R)A detailed CT scan confirms that “the internals are nearly an exact match for the HTC U24 Pro.” Take a look. Can you tell which is which?Next, iFixit broke open the devices to inspect their intervals firsthand. Most of the differences are minor — T1 has a longer flex cable to connect components, a repositioned camera flash, and an updated speaker grill pattern. The one glaring change is the T1’s bigger battery, now rated at 19.35 Wh compared to the HTC’s 17.23 Wh power pack. As for similarities, the display, speakers, and even the motherboard — complete with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 chip (as we suspected) — are all virtually the same.The real reason Trump Mobile changed the wordingAt this point, it’s clear that the Trump Mobile T1 phone is not fully made in America. As an HTC U24 Pro dressed up in Trump logos and a gold colorway, the chassis, the sum of its parts, and even its design all come from the usual foreign supply chains overseas. IFixit suspects that Trump Mobile wanted to make a true “Made in America” phone, but timing and domestic manufacturing limitations led to a compromise: The phone components could be made outside the U.S., but it would be assembled here on American shores.This is why Trump Mobile changed the wording on its website from “made in the USA” to “proudly American” sometime last year. If you recall, Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) took note of this change and ongoing delays, accusing Trump of “potentially deceptive practices” that harmed consumers. She even filed a joint complaint alongside Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) with the Federal Trade Commission. (It went absolutely nowhere.)RELATED: The Trump phone is here — and so is the controversy. Is it any good? BasSlabbers/Getty Images As it turns out, Trump Mobile did the right thing by not further misleading consumers to believe the phone was produced by American hands from start to finish. However, all preorders made previously under the “made in the USA” banner could be subject to legal scrutiny.A product of today’s supply chainsIf we’re being honest, the T1 phone is less American than we’d prefer, but the reason why isn’t a mystery. Ultimately, the Trump Mobile phone isn’t fully American-made because tech supply chains don’t currently allow it. President Trump just recently convinced major tech companies like Apple to invest in domestic manufacturing, and it will take many years — if not decades — for this kind of skilled labor to find its way back to American shores. In the meantime, the T1 phone is the first generation of a new smartphone brand wholly owned, operated, and assembled by Americans — which is more than most smartphone companies can say.The Trump Mobile T1 phone is available for a promotional price of $499. It’s still listed as a preorder device, suggesting that units aren’t widely shipping to all recipients yet. If you happen to order one and receive it in a timely manner, let us know in the comments.As for those who ordered under the belief that T1 was made in America, you may be able to request a refund through Trump Mobile support, as long as your device hasn’t shipped yet.
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