MAGA's Trump Phone Gets Its Third Redesign, PTCRB Cert Yet Still Has No Launch Date or Release Window

Trump Mobile's unreleased handset has received regulatory network certification following a mid-April website update that revealed the device's third major hardware redesign, though the company has yet to confirm a release date.

The corporate developments, including a recent approval from the North American PTCRB certification board — signal technical progress for the smartphone. Still, rolling delays and changing claims about where the phones are made have bogged down the project. For customers who put down money to reserve a handset, the wait continues without a firm delivery date in sight.

Trump Phone Reveals Third Major Hardware Redesign

The primary handset, marketed as the T1 phone, first missed an initial August 2025 launch window. The company later missed its second advertised launch date at the end of 2025, prompting doubts about whether the product would reach consumers. A subsequent March release timeframe suggested by vendors earlier this year has also elapsed without a product launch or official status update.

The Trump Mobile website was updated in mid-April to display a newly configured device, marking its third distinct design iteration since the project was announced. The latest visual render introduces a completely altered camera array compared with the near-production model that company executives previously demonstrated to The Verge during a February video call.

Despite the lack of a firm launch schedule as of 1 May, the manufacturer is actively collecting $100 (£74) deposits for the device on its enrolment portal. The platform continues to advertise a promotional retail price of $499 (£370) for the unit.

According to the company's official specifications, the Android-based smartphone will feature a Snapdragon mobile platform, a 6.78-inch AMOLED screen, and a 5,000mAh battery. It also promises AI face unlock and a fingerprint sensor. The revised camera bump includes a 50MP main lens, an 8MP wide lens, and a 50MP tele lens listed as 2X, alongside a 50MP front-facing camera.

Crucial Mobile Network Certifications For T1 Phone

Recent regulatory filings indicate the hardware is slowly moving towards operational readiness. Last week, The Verge reported that the T1 phone appears to have received PTCRB certification, an industry validation that it will work on operator networks. That marks another small step towards launch.

The network development follows earlier reporting from the same outlet on documentation from the Federal Communications Commission. In January, the FCC authorised a phone from Smart Gadgets Global, a company whose chief executive is listed as Eric Thomas, a Trump Mobile executive. The Smart Gadgets Global website remains largely empty apart from stock technology images, and its AI chatbot could not provide any information about the T1 phone.

How Trump Mobile Altered Its Production Timelines

Those technical developments have unfolded as the company has shifted its language around where the handset is made. Trump Mobile had originally promoted the device as US-made, but later dropped that claim when it became clear that large-scale domestic smartphone manufacturing would not be feasible. The website now says the handset is 'designed with American values in mind', features an 'American-proud design' and is 'shaped by American innovation'.

Speaking to The Verge in February, Trump Mobile executives said the delay reflected a decision to take more time with the device. They said the company chose to skip the 'first initial entry-level phone that we were going to kind of introduce and be quick to the market'. The executives also said the phone is being made in a 'favored nation', with 'final assembly' in Florida, though it remains unclear what that description means in practice.

Trump Mobile launched in June 2025 with a $47.45 (£35.14)-a-month mobile plan. While the T1 has yet to ship, the company is currently selling refurbished Apple and Samsung phones priced from $369 (£273) to $629 (£466). Trump Mobile has not responded to repeated requests for comment from CNET over recent months.