Overview
- Trump Mobile said Wednesday it began sending T1 units to customers who pre-ordered, and it expects to finish deliveries over the next several weeks.
- CEO Pat O’Brien told USA TODAY on Tuesday that shipments would start this week, while a separate statement to Reuters said phones are now going out.
- The company revised its preorder terms on April 6 to say the $100 deposit does not guarantee the phone will be released, approved by regulators, certified by carriers, delivered on any timeline, or sold at the advertised $499 price.
- O’Brien says the first batch was assembled in the United States after early “Made in USA” claims were dialed back to phrases like “designed with American values,” with future models described as using mostly U.S.-made components.
- Reports note the T1 has PTCRB, FCC and Google Play certifications, as Democratic lawmakers press federal agencies to examine the deposit terms and origin claims, and unconfirmed estimates suggest as many as roughly 600,000 people placed deposits.