The TRUMP token, the official memecoin of US President Donald Trump, is down 5%, according to market data from CoinDesk, as Trump Mobile announced that the long-awaited T1 handset is expected to begin deliveries next week.
As CoinDesk previously reported, neither the Trump Mobile project nor the president’s memecoin have gone particularly well. Handset ship dates have been repeatedly delayed – and customer support is limited – while the TRUMP token is down almost 90%.
Another question is: what exactly is the T1 phone? Trump Mobile is a mobile virtual network operator and does not have the capacity to design and manufacture its own device. Instead, he worked with an outside company to choose a handset and give it a Trump-themed makeover. This type of accusation is common; Solana revamped the Osom OV-1 for its first Saga phone.
The Verge got its hands on one of the T1 phone’s handsets last month and concluded that it “looks a lot like an HTC U24”, a handset released in 2024.
It’s unclear exactly which company makes the Trump phone, as neither HTC nor Trump Mobile would give an answer to The Verge. Trump Mobile previously confirmed that its phones were ultimately assembled in the United States but were sourced overseas.
For buyers, the shipping update means T1 could finally move from a political merch concept to a shipped consumer product.
For TRUMP holders, the 5% drop suggests the market is treating the phone less as an enabler and more as another Trump-branded product trying to prove there’s still demand after the first wave of hype.
