Trump Mobile opens T1 Phone sales at $499 without preorder deposit
Trump Mobile's site now lets buyers pay full price for the T1 Phone, though delivery timing remains unclear and some preorder units have not arrived, The Verge reports.
By Maya Lindqvist · Senior Technology Correspondent
2 min read
Trump Mobile has moved its T1 Phone into direct sales, allowing customers to pay $499 plus tax instead of first placing a $100 preorder deposit. The change broadens access to the device even as delivery timing remains uncertain and some earlier orders have yet to ship, according to The Verge.
Android Authority first spotted the updated purchase flow on Trump Mobile’s website, The Verge reported. The site now lets a buyer pay the full listed price for the phone at checkout, replacing the earlier deposit-based process.
The T1 Phone had previously reached a small number of preorder customers, according to The Verge. The publication said it is still waiting for the two phones it ordered and has not received confirmation that either has shipped.
Mixed messages on the website
The website update appears incomplete, according to The Verge. One page still refers to joining a waitlist for the T1 Phone, and the homepage continues to tell visitors to get in line and mentions the $100 deposit that the purchase page no longer requires.
The Verge said there is limited public evidence that Trump Mobile has sent out more than a small number of phones so far. The company has not provided a clear delivery window in the information cited by the publication.
That leaves new buyers without a firm sense of where they stand in relation to earlier preorder customers, according to The Verge. The publication said it is not clear whether orders placed now will wait behind existing ones or be processed on another schedule.
Price still described as promotional
Trump Mobile continues to describe the $499 price as promotional, according to The Verge. The publication reported that the phone remains listed at that price plus tax, with no visible price increase as of this week.
Executives previously told The Verge in February that a higher price was expected later. The Verge said it was told at the time that the eventual price would be under $1,000, but the company has not given a specific amount or date for a change.
The direct-sale shift makes the T1 Phone easier to order, but it does not answer the main practical question for buyers: when the device will arrive. Based on The Verge’s reporting, the company is taking full payment now despite unresolved questions about fulfillment.
The Verge said it has now paid in full for both T1 Phones it ordered. As of its latest report, it said it was still waiting for any shipping confirmation.
This story draws on original reporting from The Verge.