The Trump phone is not a serious phone
The Verge provides a critical review of the T1 'Trump phone,' describing it as a low-quality, poorly designed device that fails to meet modern smartphone standards. Despite its branding, the reviewer concludes that the phone is not a serious product.
Why it matters
It highlights the intersection of political branding and consumer electronics, questioning the quality and legitimacy of politically-themed commercial products.
The Trump phone was never a serious phone. Not when it was announced last June, in dodgy renders and with an incoherent spec sheet. Nor when Trump Mobile admitted — just two weeks later — that it wouldn’t be made in the US. Not even when the company revealed the final phone, first to me over a video call in February and then to the world in April through a short commercial with the slick sheen of AI.
It’s now on sale for $499, past the days of its tenuous, ever-shifting release dates. A few buyers even have the phone, The Verge among them, though more still seem not to.
It’s clear now that the T1 is a real phone, but that doesn’t mean it’s a serious one. Still, for the next thousand words or so, I will try to take it seriously.
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