Trump Mobile’s T1 mobile phone can be said to be one of the most controversial consumer electronics products in recent years. From questions about “Made in the United States” to data leaks, to iFixit disassembly confirming that it is just a gold-plated HTC U24 Pro with a modified shell, the controversy has never stopped. Now there is another step in this farce: its public relations company Poplar Group officially announced that it has terminated its cooperation and will no longer handle any business for Trump Mobile. Chris Walker, a founding partner of Poplar Group, confirmed to the media: “We are no longer assisting Trump Mobile with any business.”
Trump Mobile T1 has so many negative reviews that even the PR firm has run away
From “Made in the USA” to “Assembled in the USA”
Poplar Group took over Trump Mobile’s public relations business in June 2025, and the partnership lasted about a year. Looking back on this collaboration, the most iconic moment was Walker’s statement to USA Today in June 2025, emphasizing that the T1 phone was indeed “made in the United States.” At that time, this statement was regarded as the most important endorsement of Trump Mobile, because as a professional public relations company, Poplar Group’s remarks have a certain degree of credibility.
However, as more and more evidence emerged, this theory was quickly overturned. iFixit’s disassembly report confirms that the T1 phone is essentially a gold-plated modified HTC U24 Pro. The hardware has almost no original design and the internal structure is exactly the same as the HTC U24 Pro. Trump’s mobile phone later silently changed the marketing language from “Made in the USA” to “Assembled in the USA,” which was an indirect admission that the initial statement was untrue.
Timeline of the T1 phone controversy
The problems with the T1 phone go beyond the origin dispute. Looking back on the development history of this product, it can be said that it has been full of twists and turns: it was first questioned as “vaporware”, and the outside world generally doubted whether it would really be launched, because the product that should have been shipped long ago has not been seen; then a large-scale data leakage incident was reported, affecting the personal information security of thousands of pre-order users.
and iFixit’s Teardown ReportIt was a heavy blow, confirming that it was essentially a team from two years ago. HTC U24 Pro OEM machine, no original design at all. The hardware specifications of the T1 phone include a 6.8-inch screen, 50MP main camera, 5,000mAh battery, 512GB storage space, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. Those specs aren’t outstanding for a mid-range Android phone, but the price has gradually increased from the original $499, and officials are now only vaguely saying that the final price will be “under $1,000.”
What’s even more striking is that about 600,000 people each paid a deposit of US$100 to pre-order the T1 phone, bringing Trump Mobile about US$60 million (about NT$1.95 billion) in cash revenue. However, there are still a large number of pre-order users who have not yet received their phones. Some media reports pointed out that pre-order deposits may not be refunded, causing considerable disputes. This has also upgraded the T1 mobile phone from a simple product dispute to a legal issue involving consumer rights.
Why did the PR choose to leave?
The responsibility of a public relations firm is to handle crises and repair the image of clients when they encounter negative news. However, when the problem is no longer “unfavorable public opinion” but “continuous falsehoods”, the public relations team is powerless. The report accurately pointed out: “Faced with the continuous fraud, Poplar Group chose to stop losses in time.” Poplar Group’s withdrawal is not only a business decision, but also means that even professional public relations who are best at saying good things can no longer defend the T1 mobile phone. Generally speaking, public relations companies will only choose to terminate the contract when the client’s products or actions have moral doubts, or the client continues to lie so that the public relations company cannot endorse it. Walker also said he didn’t know if Trump Mobile had found a new PR firm.
Current status of T1 phones
Even though the T1 phone was actually launched, there were very few buyers. In sharp contrast to the 600,000 pre-orders, the proportion that ultimately converted into actual purchases was extremely low. The current difficulties faced by this mobile phone include: unstable supply chain, shipment delays, and serious loss of consumer confidence. T1 mobile phones are almost invisible on telecom operators and retail channels, and their actual market share is close to zero.
With the loss of its PR firm, Trump Mobile’s next steps will be even more difficult. As negative reports from mainstream media and technology media continue to ferment, it is still unknown how Trump Mobile can restore its brand image without the assistance of a professional public relations team. Trump Mobile has yet to publicly respond to the news of Poplar Group’s termination.
For Taiwanese readers, the news that iFixit’s teardown confirmed that the T1 phone is a re-shelled HTC U24 Pro may be the most touching point: a mid-range phone from HTC in Taiwan, after being plated with a gold casing, can be sold in the name of “Made in the United States” at several times the price. What this reflects is not only the failure of a product, but also highlights the extreme cases of brand premium and false marketing in the entire consumer electronics market (also considered the light of Taiwan to some extent?).
Source: KOCPC Chinese