After 12 months, 16 days, 21 hours, and 54 minutes, The Verge’s Trump phones have arrived. And yes, phones — plural. They ordered two, paid for two, received three, all shipped to the wrong address. You can’t make this up.
The T1 Phone 8002 (gold version) is exactly as tacky as you’d expect. The gold plastic back has a sticky sheen that picks up fingerprints instantly. There was already a tiny scratch in one corner before the phone even left the box.
It comes with a free Trump Mobile SIM card, a charger (uncommon these days), a cheap-feeling braided USB-C cable, and a quick start guide printed on what looks like a standard office printer. There’s a separate booklet covering everything from setup to taking photos — clearly aimed at non-technical buyers.
Setup went fine. It restored apps from Google backup. Truth Social comes preinstalled. It claims the February Android security update is all it needs. The fingerprint sensor works, unlike some early reviews suggested.
One catch: the reviewer is based in the UK, and the phone won’t connect to LTE or 5G with a British SIM. Calls work fine, but data doesn’t. Either it’s strictly for Americans, or there’s a fix to find. Full review coming next week.
