"Assembled in USA" Trump Phone Revealed to Be Gold-Painted, 2-Year-Old Chinese Phone

An analysis has revealed that the gold-colored smartphone "T1," released last month by U.S. President Trump's family business "Trump Mobile" with the claim of being "Assembled in USA," is nearly identical to a two-year-old Chinese-made smartphone.

The only differences were minor, such as a slightly larger battery capacity and a gold-colored exterior.

iFixit, a website specializing in consumer product repair guides, reported on June 10 (local time) that computed tomography (CT) scans and a physical teardown revealed the internal structure of the T1 is an almost exact match for HTC's "U24 Pro," which was released in June 2024.

Although HTC is headquartered in Taiwan, the U24 Pro is an original design manufacturer (ODM) product manufactured by Yuan Chang Electronics in Guangdong Province, China.

iFixit presented photos showing that even before disassembly, CT scans confirmed the internal layouts of the two devices were nearly identical.

On the outside, the camera flash position and the speaker grille hole pattern differed slightly. However, opening the back cover revealed that the flash used the exact same internal component position but with a lengthened flex cable, and the speaker components and layout were identical.

The main logic boards were also completely identical, with both devices using the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 (SM7550) system-on-chip (SoC).

iFixit reported that when they swapped the mainboard of the U24 Pro into the T1, it worked perfectly.

Regarding the multi-chip package housing the RAM and storage, the T1 used Micron components while the U24 Pro used SK Hynix components. However, iFixit explained that such component sourcing is not highly significant, as suppliers can change even for the same model due to supply chain conditions or tariffs.

Other than that, the shape, layout, screw positions, and tamper-evident sticker locations of almost all other components were identical.

Both models used a so-called "PenTile" 1080×2436 OLED display, and a microscopic comparison showed that the pixel density and arrangement were a perfect match.

Although the T1 is documented as 6.78 inches and the U24 Pro as 6.8 inches, they are likely the exact same component, with only the significant figures in the documentation being different.

However, the internal battery capacities differed slightly.

The T1 used a 5,000mAh model supplied by Newlix Mfg Inc of the Philippines, while the HTC U24 Pro used a 4,600mAh model from China's Huizhou Highpower Technology.

Due to the battery difference, the T1 supports charging at a maximum of only 30W, whereas the U24 Pro can charge at 60W, which is twice that speed.

Consequently, the capacities of the chargers included with each device also differ.

iFixit invited a news production team from the major U.S. broadcast network NBC to its office in San Luis Obispo, California, to demonstrate the CT scanning and disassembly process.

In conclusion, the Trump Mobile T1 was virtually identical to the HTC U24 Pro, with the only differences being its gold-painted exterior, a slightly larger battery capacity, and a charging speed that is cut in half.

Synthesizing this information, iFixit evaluated the product as being "designed in China, made in China, with the vast majority of parts sourced from China." It also pointed out that while the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has very clear requirements for labeling a device as "Made in America," its policies regarding the "Assembled in USA" label remain vague.

Trump Mobile has been promoting the T1 as an "Assembled in USA" product.

After experiencing multiple release delays, the product was finally launched in mid-May, priced at $499 (approximately 760,000 won).

(Photo: Trump Mobile website capture, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.