Trump Mobile's CEO says gold-plated Trump phone will begin shipping to buyers this week after delays - Fortune

Trump Mobile’s flashy golden phone is releasing its first units nearly a year after the device was initially announced. The CEO of Trump Mobile, Pat O’Brien, confirmed in a statement to Fortune that the company will begin shipping its “T1” devices this week to customers who put down $100 deposits in a  pre-order sale, which began in June of last year. Those who put down a deposit for the $500 device will be charged the rest once the phone ships. O’Brien said all the preorders will be filled within the next several weeks, yet he did not reveal how many people had actually preordered the device. He did note that the company was “incredibly pleased with the interest” in both the Trump phone and the Trump Mobile 5G “47” plan, which costs $47.45 per month—a reference to President Donald Trump’s two nonconsecutive terms in the Oval Office, serving as both the country’s 45th and 47th president.  The “T1” phone, which has gone through three redesigns, was announced last June and originally scheduled for release in August last year, but instead, underwent multiple delays that pushed back the release to November and then December. Customer service associates for Trump Mobile even told Fortune late last year that the phone was delayed because of the government shutdown and would be available in “mid to late January.” In the meantime, the company has been selling refurbished Samsung devices and iPhones on its website. O’Brien did not have an explanation for the multiple delays and said only that “those delays were worth it in our minds as we are delivering an amazing product.”  The Trump organization did not immediately respond to Fortune’s request for comment. The company has faced a wave of controversy in recent days from people who preordered the device. It recently, and quietly, updated its terms and conditions for preorders to clarify Trump Mobile “does not guarantee that a Device will be produced or made available for purchase.”  O’Brien denied the speculation that those who pre-ordered the “T1” would never receive their device. The Trump phone in recent months received its PTCRB certification—which is required to operate on major networks—as well as authorization from the FCC, The Verge previously reported. Last week, the phone was also added to a list of devices certified to use the Google Play store. The Trump phone, which sports a gold exterior and an American flag on the back, will run on Google’s Android operating system and include a fingerprint sensor and “AI face unlock,” according to the Trump Mobile website. It also includes a headphone jack, “unlike many modern flagship devices,” and will ship with a charging cable and block. Originally touted as “made in America,” the company’s website now states the phone is “designed with American values in mind.” Trump Mobile CEO O’Brien confirmed to Fortune that the phones being shipped to pre-order customers starting this week were assembled in the U.S. In the future, the phones will “primarily” use U.S.-manufactured components, O’Brien said.