Trump Mobile is a Real Thing, But I Don't Recommend It Yet
I saw President Trump’s sons discussing “Trump Mobile” on social media. I decided to do some research to see what this is about.
It turns out that Trump Mobile is indeed a real thing. Trump Mobile is an MVNO that has partnered with another MVNO (Liberty Mobile) to sell wireless service under the Trump Mobile brand. They offer a plan for $47.45/month (President Trump’s number terms) that includes 20GB of high-speed data (slower data after that), unlimited talk and text, international calling to 100 destinations, and included device protection, roadside assistance, and telehealth. They’re also using US-based call centers for support.
While Trump Mobile claims to be able to use all three wireless carriers, I’ve heard from testers that they are primarily or exclusively using T-Mobile’s network. Additionally, when I called to ask about the service, the phone rep wasn’t sure about my questions. They gave me answers from “we have nothing to do with the big carriers” to “we’re the same coverage as the big carriers”. They also weren’t able to tell me anything about number porting or if their phone service is the same “network priority” as the big carriers. Right now, they seem to be in “startup mode” and experiencing a lot of “growing pains”.
Trump Mobile has also announced a gold $499 Trump T1 Phone that is supposed to be made in the USA, but I’ve been told by others that it is likely a T-Mobile phone from China that will be branded in the USA under the Trump brand but have specs of a $149 phone.
If you need access to T-Mobile’s network and need device insurance, international calling, roadside assistance, and telehealth all at a flat rate, and you don’t mind having customer service agents that aren’t highly trained at the moment, then Trump Mobile’s new plan isn’t necessarily a bad deal. However, I would personally recommend going with a more established player in mobile plans. I personally recommend Patriot Mobile (Don Jr. has also endorsed Patriot Mobile in the past), as they do offer wireless plans on all three of the major carriers’ networks (including Verizon) at the same network priority as the major carriers (I also like their cash back credit card). Honestly, I see Trump Mobile likely folding its customer base into Patriot Mobile in the future and just striking an endorsement with them since Don Jr. already promoted them. If you only need AT&T coverage super cheap, then PureTalk is another good option (and one I used in the past before switching to Patriot Mobile since I needed Verizon coverage). I also wouldn’t recommend switching from an iPhone or another Android phone to the Trump T1 phone at the moment until one gets some additional information on how it compares with other (potentially lower-cost) phones.
While I give President Trump’s sons credit for trying to start another MVNO (as it is always great to see pro-American players in the market), the entire process seems rushed and not up to the “gold standard” President Trump has made for his brand when it comes to other products. At the moment, I wouldn’t recommend it to most users, as there are better alternatives to it at the moment, and I am not sure of the long-term viability of it. Time will tell though if they manage to pull off becoming a viable and disruptive player in the market, but that time hasn’t quite arrived yet.