Trump Mobile opens T1 phone sales after repeated delays

Trump Mobile opened direct sales of its T1 phone at $499, letting new buyers skip the earlier $100 preorder deposit even as some preorder customers were still waiting for shipment notices. The change put fresh focus on a product that had been promised, delayed and selectively shipped for months.

Trump Mobile announced the T1 in June 2025 and originally said it would ship in August 2025. That schedule slipped repeatedly before the company began shipping to at least some preorder customers, leaving others in limbo while the phone moved closer to full retail sale. Trump Mobile later changed its preorder terms in April 2026 to say delivery was not guaranteed.

For buyers, the question is not just when the phone arrives but what exactly they are paying for. Reported specifications for the T1 have included a 6.78-inch display, a Snapdragon 7-series chipset, 12 GB of RAM, 512 GB of storage and a 5,000 mAh battery. The phone has also been marketed as an American-made device, but reporting and regulatory records have left key supply chain and manufacturing claims unclear.

That uncertainty matters because the T1 is tied to a political brand as much as a consumer product. The Trump Organization says T1 Mobile LLC uses the Trump name and trademark under a limited license agreement that can be terminated or revoked under its terms. That makes the phone’s rollout a test of whether the brand can deliver a product that matches its sales pitch, not just its politics.

Trump Mobile’s own site now markets the phone and service directly to consumers, with the device shown as a gold-toned handset and sold without the earlier deposit step. The latest move means new customers can buy the T1 while earlier preorder buyers continue waiting, a sequence that sharpens the gap between the company’s marketing and its fulfillment record.