is a news editor with over a decade’s experience in journalism. He previously worked at Android Police and Tech Advisor.
When Trump Mobile first unveiled the T1 Phone, we were confused by the mixed marketing, which included dubious renders of what at least appeared to be an original phone along with multiple appearances from what was quite clearly a gold-plated iPhone. Now we can add Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Ultra into the mix.
The Trump Mobile team shared an ad to X on Wednesday pushing preorders of the T1, but with an image we’d never seen before. You don’t have to look hard to realize that this is an S25 Ultra that’s been Photoshopped gold with a T1 logo and US flag; looking a little closer confirms that it’s a render of that phone in a Spigen case, right down to the Spigen logo they didn’t bother to remove.
It’s a remarkable choice because the S25 Ultra looks even less like the T1 Phone’s official renders than the iPhone the company has previously used in promotions. Even Spigen noticed the dupe, saying what we’re all thinking in its reply on X: “??? bro what”
The new X post promises that “The wait is almost over!” for the T1 Phone, which originally advertised launch dates of August and September (one in the press release, the other on the site), but now lists no date at all. The company also no longer claims the phone will be made in the USA, instead saying there are “American hands behind every device.” The phone has shrunk dramatically since launch too, now promising a 6.25-inch screen, way down from the 6.78-inch display described when it was first announced.
