590,000 buyers paid $59 million for Trump's gold phone — not 1 has shipped and refunds look unlikely

AnnaMarie Houlis Mon, May 11, 2026 at 12:35 AM GMT+2 6 min read More than a half million people paid $100 each for a gold smartphone featuring an American flag that Trump Mobile promised would be "Made in the USA." The problem is, one year later, they don't seem to have been made at all.President Trump's sons Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump announced the Trump Mobile flagship T1 phone (1), retailing at $499, on June 16, 2025 — to coincide with the 10th anniversary of Donald Trump's 2016 campaign launch — as an alternative to Apple and Samsung. Since then, an estimated 590,000 buyers paid a collective $59 million in deposits to secure one of the phones.Must Read Thanks to Jeff Bezos, you can now become a landlord for as little as $100 — and no, you don't have to deal with tenants or fix freezers. Here's how Robert Kiyosaki says this 1 asset will surge 400% in a year and begs investors not to miss this ‘explosion’ Dave Ramsey warns nearly 50% of Americans are making 1 big Social Security mistake — here’s how to fix it ASAP The device would work with Trump Mobile's service plan. For $47.45 per month, Trump Mobile's "47 Plan" (2), which operates on the T-Mobile network, claims to be "better than the rest," offering 100% U.S.-based support; extensive 5G coverage; unlimited talk, text and data; telehealth services; roadside assistance, and international calling to over 230 countries and territories.The T1 phone is nowhere to be found Not a single confirmed customer has received the phone, which was initially promised for late summer 2025 but later pushed back to November, then December and then mid-March this year. By April, Trump Mobile redesigned its website, removing the release date altogether.

NBC News (3), which placed a $100 deposit in August 2025 to track the story, reportedly called Trump Mobile's support line five times between September and November 2025 because the company "provided no proactive updates after the order."In October, a representative told the outlet that the phone would ship on November 13. When it didn't arrive, the outlet called again and was told it would ship in December. Another representative assured the outlet that the T1 would ship "sometime in Q1 2026," blaming the delay on the federal government shutdown, which shouldn't have impacted private-sector companies.Journalist Joseph Cox, investigating the phone saga for 404 Media (4), also placed a deposit — or, at least, tried. But Trump Mobile reportedly charged Cox's card the wrong amount and never collected his shipping address. The company did, however, send a confirmation email that promised delivery notifications, which didn't come either. He called it "the worst experience [he has] ever faced buying a consumer electronic product." Weʼre unable to load stories right now.