The TRUMP token, the official memecoin of U.S. President Donald Trump, is down 5%, according to CoinDesk market data, as Trump Mobile announced the long awaited T1 handset is set to begin shipments next week.
As CoinDesk previously reported, neither the Trump Mobile project nor the President's memecoin has gone particularly well. Shipment dates for the handset have been repeatedly delayed — and customer support is limited — while the TRUMP token is down nearly 90%.
Another question is, what exactly is the T1 Phone? Trump Mobile is a Mobile Virtual Network Operator and doesn't have the ability to design and manufacture its own handset. Instead, it has worked with an outside company to pick a handset and re-skin it to be Trump themed. This kind of arrangement is common; Solana re-skinned the Osom OV-1 for its first Saga phone.
The Verge got its hands on one of the T1 Phone handsets last month, and concluded that it "sure looks a lot like an HTC U24", a handset that came out in 2024.
Exactly what company is manufacturing the Trump phone is unclear, as neither HTC nor Trump Mobile would give an answer to The Verge. Trump Mobile has previously confirmed that its phones have final assembly in the U.S. but originate overseas.
