Technologies

Trump Mobile and its T1 Phone Don’t Make Any Sense, Even for Trump Fans

Commentary: If you make a splashy announcement and expect to be taken seriously, you need to have your specs accurately written.

The Trump Organization launched its own Trump Mobile phone service and a gold-colored $499 T1 Phone on June 16, and while we often see new whitelabeled phone services or phones themed after influential people, this announcement leaves a lot of unanswered questions that you normally should know the answers to before buying a phone plan and a new device.

Trump Mobile’s T1 Phone, and every way it’s misspelled

Starting with the T1 phone itself, the new device was announced with a specs list that didn’t make sense. While there has been a revision of the phone’s product page, there are still key details that are missing. A phone’s processor is one of its key selling points, but at launch under the «Processor & RAM» on the Trump Mobile site, a processor wasn’t listed at all. The processor remains unlisted, but the corresponding column on that page now uses it to state its gold color. After originally claiming 12GB of RAM, that spec has disappeared. But it will have 256GB of internal storage that is expandable with a microSD card slot. There’s no such thing as a «Punch-Hole AMOLED» display, but it appears that’s what Trump Mobile’s website refers to as the space for the front-facing camera. That display is apparently either 6.8 inches or 6.78 — who’s to say? And the «5,000mAh long life camera» originally listed — which probably should have referenced a battery — has since been corrected to reflect a 5,000-mAh battery with a 20-watt charging speed.

In terms of specs that were better spelled out at launch, the phone runs on Android 15, has an in-screen fingerprint sensor, and includes a headphone jack. It will have a 50-megapixel main camera, a 2-megapixel macro camera, a 2-megapixel depth sensor and a single 16-megapixel selfie camera around the front.

There’s no reference to where the phone is assembled, although the main Trump Mobile site exclaims, «it’s proudly made right here in the USA.» That’s particularly eye-opening given that this type of phone — no manufacturer is named — is not currently manufactured anywhere in the US. If it does turn out to be a phone made outside the US, the constantly fluctuating US tariffs are expected to increase the cost of electronics. (Analyst Max Weinbach did some sleuthing and thinks the phone is actually the Chinese-made Wingtech REVVL 7 Pro 5G, which you can buy for $169.) For reference, the only other phone currently manufactured in the US appears to be the Liberty Phone, which is $1,999 and comes with 4GB of memory and 128GB of storage.

If you’re wondering when the release date is, good luck getting a straight answer. It’s either «Coming Soon» in August or September, depending on whether you’re looking at the press release or the website, respectively. And if you do buy it, hopefully you’ll love it, because, according to the terms, «All sales are final and non-refundable» unless otherwise determined on a case-by-case basis. To preorder a T1 Phone costs $100 (or less, if the ordering system is working).

I have to level with you: I wouldn’t give a company $500 if it can’t even list the most basic product information correctly on a page that was clearly thrown together hastily — much less without any sort of refund policy.

Trump Mobile’s phone service has many unanswered questions

While it is attention-grabbing, it’s not all that surprising to see the Trump Organization launch a mobile service. The organization itself has a history of running through lots of different businesses, and other politically bent digital services also have a long history. In 2014, for instance, former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin launched her own streaming service at $10 a month following an initial stint of reality TV hosting and then shuttered it after a year.

Trump Mobile, however, appears to have launched with a plan that uses its namesake’s presidency as its selling point, as opposed to introducing it as a good deal for consumers. There’s one plan named The 47 Plan, which costs $47.45 simply to coincide with President Donald Trump’s status as the 45th and 47th president of the United States. We don’t know what carriers Trump Mobile runs on, but the website claims it’s «working on all three major carriers.» The plan includes «Device Protection» but adds an asterisk that the protection is not insurance, nor does it clarify what it will protect about your device. It also mentions roadside assistance provided by Drive America and telehealth services provided by Doctegrity, which offers «contactless blood pressure [and] heart rate monitoring» — services that Doctegrity may cover, but which likely are not directly tied to the phone. We’ve reached out to Trump Mobile for clarification on these features.

Like with the T1 Phone page, the 47 Plan page includes questionable references and misspellings. Specifically, after checking if your phone is compatible, «then all you need to purchase is a plan that best fits your needs,» but there’s only one plan. There are no other choices. And you can check that compatibility by «Go into Setting on your Phone» listing both «for Iphone» and the correctly spelled «for Android» steps.

One other step is a bit of a throwback: It asks for you to «Remove your phone’s battery» to look for the IMEI on a sticker. And trust me, I miss user-replaceable phone batteries too, but nowadays getting battery access requires a rather complicated self-service repair kit.

While we haven’t tested Trump Mobile, it’s again hard to argue that creating a business relationship like buying cellphone service might not be the best idea when the seller doesn’t appear to have their information organized for potential customers.

Better deals than Trump Mobile and the T1 Phone

There are many better phones that cost $500 or less, and cellphone providers are offering unlimited data plans for less than $47.45.

If you need a phone for $500, Google’s $499 Pixel 9A includes seven years of software support, comes in nice colors like Iris purple, works with nearly every carrier (likely including Trump Mobile) and is available for sale here and now. It runs on a Google Tensor G4 processor. Motorola’s Moto G and Samsung’s Galaxy A lines also provide lots of options for even less money.

On the mobile network side, the sky’s almost the limit when it comes to value-oriented carriers. Verizon’s Visible, T-Mobile’s Mint Mobile and AT&T’s Cricket offer plans that are as low as $25 a month for comparable unlimited benefits. And if you want to break away from the big three carriers, Dish’s Boost Mobile has been building out a new fourth network that’s using price to draw in new customers.

There are just so many options for buying a phone and mobile service that put a better foot forward. And with a selling point primarily based around Trump’s fans, it’s quite possible that someone’s going to sign up for a service and a phone for fandom rather than actually getting a good deal. And even worse, no refunds either.

Technologies

AI Toys Can Pose Safety Concerns for Children, New Study Suggests Caution

When one child told the toy, «I love you,» it responded, «As a friendly reminder, please ensure interactions adhere to the guidelines provided.»

A new study from the University of Cambridge found that AI-enabled toys for young children can misinterpret emotional cues and are ineffective at supporting critical developmental play. The conclusions could be concerning for parents.

In one report examining how AI affects children in their early years, a chatbot-enabled toy struggled to recognize social cues during playtime. Researchers found that the toy did not effectively identify children’s emotions, raising alarm about how kids might interact with it.

The report recommends regulating AI toys for kids and requiring clear labeling of their capabilities and privacy policies. It also advises parents to keep these devices in shared spaces where kids can be monitored while playing.

The research behind the study had a limited number of participants, but was done in multiple parts: an online survey of 39 participants with kids in their earlier years, a focus group with nine participants who work with young children and an in-person workshop with 19 leaders and representatives from charities that work with early-years kids. That was followed by monitored playtime with 14 children and 11 parents or guardians with Gabbo, a chatbot-enabled toy from Curio Interactive.

Some findings indicated that the AI toy supported learning, particularly in language and communication skills. But the toy also misunderstood kids and sometimes responded inappropriately to emotional requests.

For instance, when one child told the toy, «I love you,» it responded, «As a friendly reminder, please ensure interactions adhere to the guidelines provided. Let me know how you would like to proceed,» according to the research.

Jenny Gibson, a professor of neurodiversity and developmental psychology at the Faculty of Education at Cambridge, who worked on the study, said that while parents may be excited about the educational benefits of new technology aimed at children, there are plenty of concerns.

Gibson posed overarching questions about the reason behind the tech.

«What would motivate [tech investors] to do the right thing by children … to put children ahead of profits? she said»

Gibson told CNET that while researchers are exploring the potential benefits of AI-based toys, risks remain.

«I would advise parents to take that seriously at this stage,» she said.

What’s next for AI toys

As more playthings are enabled with internet connectivity and AI features, these devices could become a major safety risk for children, especially if they replace real human connections or if interactions are not closely monitored.

Meanwhile, younger people are increasingly adopting chatbots such as ChatGPT, despite red flags. Multiple lawsuits against AI companies allege that AI companions or assistants can impact young people’s psychological safety, including some chatbots that have encouraged self-harm or negative self-image.

AI companies such as OpenAI and Google have responded by adding guardrails and restrictions for AI chatbots.

(Disclosure: Ziff Davis, CNET’s parent company, in 2025 filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.)

Gibson said she was surprised by the enthusiasm some parents showed for AI toys. She was also alarmed by the lack of research on AI’s effects on young children, noting that companies making such products should work directly with children, parents, and child development experts.

«What’s missing in the process is that expertise of what is good for children in these kinds of interactions,» she said.

Curio Interactive, the company behind the Gabbo toy, was aware of the research as it was happening but was not directly involved, Gibson said. The toy was chosen because it’s directly marketed to young kids, and the company had an understandable privacy policy. Gibson said the company seemed supportive of the project.

A representative for Curio did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Technologies

Two Lost ‘Doctor Who’ Episodes Found Intact in Waterlogged Collection

The 1960s episodes featuring the first Doctor William Hartnell will air in the UK in April.

Whovians, rejoice. The BBC is about to unlock a piece of Doctor Who history that even the TARDIS might have forgotten. Two lost episodes of Doctor Who, the iconic sci-fi series, will broadcast in April, the showrunner for the current season confirmed.

The two 1965 episodes, The Nightmare Begins and Devil’s Planet, were donated to the charitable trust Film Is Fabulous by the estate of an anonymous collector.

«The collector did recognize what he had, but how he acquired them has been lost to time,» Professor Justin Smith Leicester of De Montfort University, who led the recovery effort, told the broadcaster.

The researchers said that while most of the donor’s private collection was destroyed by water damage, the Doctor Who episodes were intact.

Doctor Who showrunner, Russell T Davies, celebrated the news on Instagram and said the episodes would air in the UK in April, though no US air date has been announced yet.

«Lost for 61 years! Best of all, these will be made available for FREE on the BBC iPlayer in April,» Davies wrote.

He expressed gratitude to Film Is Fabulous for finding the lost episodes and encouraged people to donate to the registered charity. «Maybe they’ll find more! As the Doctor says… ‘Daleks!'»

The episodes feature the first incarnation of the Doctor, played by William Hartnell, and a typical Dalek plot to take over Earth and the galaxy.

In the 1960s and 1970s, the BBC had a policy of destroying film or reusing videotapes, leading to dozens of episodes of Doctor Who and other popular UK shows like Dad’s Army and Top of the Pops going missing.

Old Doctor Who episodes do surface occasionally, and in 2016, the newly discovered soundtrack for one storyline was turned into an animated series called The Power of the Daleks.

Meanwhile, Disney ended its working relationship with the BBC last year, and star Ncuti Gatwa left the show. However, the UK broadcaster says that Doctor Who will continue, and Russell T Davies is working on a new Christmas special.

Technologies

Today’s Wordle Hints, Answer and Help for March 14, #1729

Here are hints and the answer for today’s Wordle for March 14, No. 1,729.

Looking for the most recent Wordle answer? Click here for today’s Wordle hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Wordle puzzle is a common word, but there’s at least one tricky letter you may not guess right away. If you need a new starter word, check out our list of which letters show up the most in English words. If you need hints and the answer, read on.