Tom’s Guide reviewer John Velasco spent his first 24 hours with the Trump Phone T1 testing it during the World Cup football match between Ecuador and Germany at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. The smartphone is sold online for $499 and is positioned as a device for use on the Trump Mobile network, with tariffs starting at $47.45 per month.
The design immediately catches the eye: the back panel has an iridescent finish that changes colour at different angles of light, and the body is decorated with a stylised American flag. According to the author, the people he handed the phone to at the stadium particularly liked this “shimmering” effect.
At the same time, the reviewer stresses that the look betrays a device from several years ago. The Trump Phone T1 is seen as effectively a reissue of the HTC U24 Pro: it has an AMOLED display with curved edges and a metal frame reminiscent of the 2015 Galaxy S6 Edge design, and it still includes a 3.5 mm audio jack. Inside, it uses a Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 chip which, given the price, comes across as an outdated choice.
One of the few strong points of the model, the reviewer notes, is the 512 GB of built-in storage. While shooting photos and video at the stadium, this capacity proved more than sufficient, so there was no need to rely heavily on cloud services for storing content.
The first red flag was a software security issue. Immediately after switching it on, the smartphone displayed a system warning about security risks. The problem was resolved after installing an update but, as Velasco notes, he was unable to find any further over-the-air updates. The device ships with Android 15, and there is no clarity on whether it will be updated to Android 16 or Android 17, which raises concerns about long-term support.
When testing the cameras, the main complaint was the quality of 4K video. According to the author, the footage turned out to be very “shaky”, especially when using digital zoom. Compared with similar clips shot on the iPhone 17 Pro, the difference was stark. The camera array consists of a 50 MP main module, an 8 MP ultra-wide camera, a 50 MP telephoto lens and a 50 MP front camera. Under good lighting at the stadium, the photos were, in the reviewer’s opinion, acceptable but not impressive.
Another disappointment was the software styling. The standard Trump Mobile wallpapers that users see on the home screen are described by the author as far too ordinary and clichéd, despite the device’s aggressive branding. There are no extra bespoke themes or a curated selection of distinctive wallpapers — there is just a single option, and users will have to find anything else themselves.
The smartphone comes with Truth Social and Doctegrity preinstalled. Velasco notes that some buyers may find them of interest, but for a user who already has plenty of social media accounts, yet another platform feels unnecessary.
Comparing the Trump Phone T1 with other models on the market, the reviewer cites the Nuu B40 5G, priced at $249, as an example. In his words, this smartphone looks similar to the T1 but costs half as much, has an additional screen on the back panel for easier selfie and vlogging shots, and does not tie the user to Trump Mobile tariffs. He points out that with alternative models, you can choose more advantageous deals from operators such as Visible, Mint Mobile or Total Wireless.
After 24 hours of testing, Velasco concludes that the bold design and political branding do not make up for the technical backwardness and uncertainty around updates. In his view, the buyer is effectively getting a device built on two-year-old hardware at the price of a current mid-ranger, and with mandatory lock-in to a specific operator on top. He advises treating the Trump Phone T1 as a curiosity or collector’s gadget rather than as a primary everyday smartphone.