Trump Mobile’s T1 Misses Fourth Ship Date, Holds $59M in Deposits

Trump Mobile’s T1 phone missed a fourth promised ship date and the company holds roughly $59 million in $100 deposits from nearly 590,000 buyers. The device has gone about 11 months without any shipments since its June 2025 unveiling.

Don Jr. and Eric Trump introduced the T1 in June 2025 as a $499 handset marketed as American-made. The company originally promised August delivery, then pushed the launch to November and December. In late December customer service cited a federal government shutdown and asked buyers to wait until mid to late January. A Q1 2026 window passed and the estimated release date was removed from trumpmobile.com.

Trump Mobile’s website currently advertises refurbished Samsung phones and iPhones on a $47.45 monthly plan. Dedicated product pages for the T1 return 404 errors. The waitlist page lists specifications — a 6.78-inch AMOLED screen, multiple cameras and Android software — alongside prominent disclaimers. The handset has received Federal Communications Commission authorization, but the company has not provided a production timeline.

On April 6, 2026, T1 Mobile LLC revised its preorder deposit terms to state that a $100 deposit “does not guarantee that a Device will be produced or made available for purchase.” The updated language calls deposits a “conditional opportunity” and labels estimated ship dates and production schedules as “non-binding estimates only.” Earlier preorder communications had implied delivery or refunds; the new terms remove explicit guarantees.

Entrepreneurs and creators criticized the change. Mario Nawfal criticized the revised fine print, noting it no longer promises refunds or delivery for nearly 600,000 buyers. Tech creator Carter Ryan posted on TikTok: “I’m paying $100 for the chance to maybe give you more money in the future, if you decide to make the product that I’m paying for in the first place?”

Refund requests remain possible through customer service channels, but legal experts say the revised terms limit the company’s obligation to return deposit funds. With roughly $59 million collected and no production schedule on record, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Federal Trade Commission can review whether the marketing and preorder terms misled consumers.

The T1’s stalled rollout follows a broader pattern of Trump-branded ventures encountering setbacks since 2025. The Official Trump token, launched in January 2025, trades about 96% below its peak. As of the latest updates to its site and preorder terms, Trump Mobile has not provided further clarification on production timing, refunds or cancellation.