iFixit Teardown of the Trump Mobile T1 Phone Reveals Gold Coat, Same HTC U24 Pro Core

Photo credit: iFixit
iFixit engineers tore down the Trump Mobile T1 this week and put every layer to the test. The gold-finished handset drew plenty of early attention for its bold look and branding. What came out during the full examination showed a device that borrows almost everything from an existing model with only light cosmetic updates on top.

Advanced imaging equipment eventually revealed some obvious indicators. Scans of the interior configuration gave us a good idea of what was going on without necessitating disassembly. The inside layout was almost identical to the HTC U24 Pro, including component arrangement and board shape. The camera area received a few small adjustments, but the general design stayed the same. The engineers started by working on the back cover. One of the most significant changes was a larger flex cable for the flash to accommodate the repositioned module, although the rest of the connections, spring contacts, and surrounding hardware remained identical to the original HTC design. The aluminum chassis, on the other hand, had slightly different machined holes for the speaker grill, but the speakers were in the same spot and worked just as well.

A deeper inspection of the mainboard revealed the same exact shape, screw positions, and anti-tamper stickers, showing that the entire assembly was identical to the HTC version. Engineers pulled the board from the T1 and installed it in an HTC U24 Pro body, and it simply worked. The opposite was also true: insert an HTC board into the T1 chassis, and everything worked as usual. The only notable difference was in memory, with Micron in one and SK Hynix in the other. Just one of several supply chain alternatives.

Both phones used the same CPU, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 3. On paper, the display sizes differed slightly, but the panels and mounting hardware were fully interchangeable. The wireless charging hardware, ports, and extension features were all carried over intact. However, the battery was a very other story. Capacity had increased to 19.35 watt-hours, but charging speed had decreased to 30 watts. No doubt because the HTC model supports faster 60-watt charging. The new cell features an insignia from the Philippines-based company Newlix Mfg Inc.

The HTC U24 Pro has a repair rating of three out of ten. This was partially due to a lack of official servicing instructions and spare parts. For the time being, the T1 obtained the same rating; however, no service documentation for that model was discovered. However, all of this brought further perspective. The majority of the components were standard off-the-shelf parts obtained from global manufacturers, with a significant amount of Chinese production mixed in. Although some final assembly occurred in Florida, the chassis, display, and the majority of the subassemblies were prefabricated overseas. The T1’s battery was manufactured in the Philippines, which is unsurprising. The device’s labeling indicate that it was manufactured in the United States, but in the end, it appears to be a standard issue device.