When the Trump Organization announced its new Trump Mobile cell service and gold colored T1 phone -- complete with an American flag on the back -- it raised a lot of questions. While most of them focused on the numerous mistakes and typos on the Trump Mobile site -- some of which have been fixed -- other errors and questionable policies, like calling RAM storage, not identifying the handset's processor or the fact that you can't get a refund for the T1 phone raised several flags for us. Even the images of the phone don't look real.
The Trump T1 phone gives me flashbacks to the Freedom Phone that launched in 2021 and was more a political statement than ground breaking smartphone. But it's the Trump Mobile phone service that seems like an odd fit in 2025. At a time when there are hundreds of MVNOs (mobile virtual network operators) -- think Mint Mobile or GoogleFi -- Trump Mobile aims to break into a crowded market with a curious value proposition: Pay $47.45 a month (President Donald Trump is the 45 and 47 president of the United States, get it?) for unlimited text, calls and data when it is expected to ship in September 2025. You can do that now for much cheaper with other wireless providers.
In fact, Liberty Wireless Mobile, the MVNO that "powers" Trump Mobile, offers all that for just $40 a month (which includes 10GB of high-speed data, compared to 20GB on the 47 Plan, before data speeds are likely curtailed). I haven't used Liberty Wireless, but if the numerous instances of "Lorem ipsum" text on its FAQS page is any indication, it might be best to look elsewhere.
Of course, Trump Mobile's 47 Plan comes with other perks that could justify the price jump, including telehealth sessions provided by Doctegrity, which normally costs $29 a month, and roadside assistance through Drive America (though it isn't clear what types of services are covered or if there are limits on the amount you can spend). The 47 Plan even includes "device protection," which would be great if it weren't for the fine print saying that "device protection is not insurance." So could Trump Mobile be a good deal? If I ignore all the vagueness that surrounds the 47 Plan, then maybe. But there are too many unknowns for me to recommend. Like how much is an additional line? Does the 47 Plan include hotspot data? Is there an autopay discount? Do I get streaming service perks like other carriers? Are there discounts for seniors? We reached out to Trump Mobile for clarification.
Luckily, between the big three main US carriers and hundreds of US-based MVNOs, you have a lot of options. Here are a few wireless plans that are live now, offer a better price or value than Trump Mobile and are from companies that have a good track record when it comes to their service.
Trump Mobile vs. T-Mobile, Mint Mobile and US Mobile undefined Plan Cost 1 line (autopay) High-speed data Hotspot data limit Price guarantee Max number of lines Streaming resolution Trump Mobile The 47 Plan $47.45 (no autopay discount) 20GB n/a n/a n/a n/a US Mobile Unlimited Flex $17.50 10GB 5GB n/a Unlimited 480p (SD) T-Mobile Essentials Choice 55 $45 50GB Unlimited 3G n/a 2 480p (SD) Mint Mobile 15GB $20 15GB 10GB n/a n/a 480p (SD)
Alternatives to Trump Mobile
US Mobile Unlimited Flex Best value for a single line (prepaid) Like Runs on Verizon's network for "Warp" service, AT&T's for its "Dark Star" or T-Mobile's for "Light Speed"
10GB high-speed data, then unlimited at slower speed
Taxes and fees are included in the sticker price
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