Trump Mobile delays shipment of gold-colored smartphone, FT reports
Reports say shipments pushed beyond year-end amid shutdown disruptions
Trump Mobile has pushed back plans to deliver its gold-colored smartphone by year-end, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday.
Donald Trump’s family business licensed its name in June to launch a U.S. mobile service and a $499 smartphone, the T1, branded as Trump Mobile. The venture marks the latest effort by the president’s children to monetize the Trump name.
According to the Financial Times, the company’s customer service team said the recent U.S. government shutdown disrupted shipments and warned there was a “strong possibility” the device would not be delivered this month.
The company did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
Trump Mobile had promised a gold-colored handset, though it remains unclear who would manufacture it, as the U.S. has limited domestic smartphone production. The company has rolled out a mobile network priced at $47.45 per month, while its website states that customers can reserve the phone with a $100 pre-booking fee, with delivery initially expected this year.
The U.S. smartphone market is among the most saturated globally and is dominated by Apple and Samsung. Nearly all devices sold in the country are manufactured overseas, primarily in China, South Korea, and increasingly in India and Vietnam.
