The roots of Trump Mobile trace back to a Mexican middleweight boxer.

Where’s the Trump phone? We’re diving into this topic weekly. Last week, we had our first chat with the company’s executives, and this week, we’re back with more insights into its origins.

Trump Mobile may carry the name of the former president, but the concept didn’t originate with him or any member of the Trump family. Instead, it was the team at MVNO Liberty Mobile that pitched the idea to the Trumps. This wasn’t their first attempt; five years prior, Liberty Mobile had a similar initiative with world champion boxer Canelo Álvarez.

According to Don Hendrickson and Eric Thomas, the Trump Mobile executives I spoke with last week, they provided a sneak peek at what they described as a nearly finalized version of the T1 Phone. Hendrickson emphasized their willingness to share more about the company’s inner workings.

While Hendrickson has previously claimed to have conceived the initial idea for Trump Mobile, he acknowledged that it stemmed from discussions with Liberty Mobile’s marketing team, which he, Thomas, and fellow executive Pat O’Brien own. Hendrickson was the one who successfully pitched the concept to the Trump Organization.

“I got on a plane. I went down to Florida,” he recounted. “I met with Eric Trump and his team and basically said, ‘Here’s what we would like to do. Here’s what we think we can do and here’s how we think we can help the American people.’”

What I didn’t realize until speaking with Hendrickson was that they had attempted a similar venture before, this time with Canelo Álvarez. “We had a Canelo Mobile program with him aimed at serving Mexican Americans in the US, and we were looking to do something along those lines,” Hendrickson explained.

Canelo Mobile launched in May 2020, promising extensive cell coverage, perks like free international calling and roadside assistance (similar to what’s offered in the Trump plan), and budget-friendly Android phones, all enhanced by the presence of a well-known name.

Canelo Mobile debuted with two devices, The Legend and The Champ, later adding a third, The Contender. They didn’t hide their origins: the phones were made by Hotpepper, a budget brand known for supplying devices to various MVNOs and the federal Lifeline program. Notably, there was no Canelo branding on the hardware, just Hotpepper’s distinctive chili logo. I reached out to Hotpepper for a comment, but their support email bounced back.

Canelo Mobile did a better job with its accessories, offering at least two pairs of over-ear headphones featuring Álvarez’s branding, along with various phone bundles that included Bluetooth speakers, earbuds, baseball caps, keychains, and more.

The phones were primarily distinguished by their software, which included a selection of preinstalled Canelo apps. These featured the money-sending app Broxel, still one of the boxer’s sponsors, and Álvarez’s I Can workout app, which was marketed on Instagram until recently but is no longer available for download. They also included CaneloRx, a platform for discounted prescription drugs, a strategy Trump is now mirroring.

Like Trump Mobile, every aspect of Canelo Mobile’s service was powered by Liberty Mobile. Hendrickson noted that Liberty is “umbilically connected” to Trump Mobile, even if that connection isn’t entirely clear to potential customers. In contrast, Canelo Mobile had a more explicit partnership, co-branding the service alongside Álvarez.

For those curious about Trump Mobile’s future, it’s worth noting how long Canelo Mobile lasted. After its 2020 launch, there were no updates on its social media pages after July 2022. Its website lingered for a few more years, but archives show that its images and formatting began to deteriorate by February 2025, and now the site is completely offline, with the domain up for auction. There’s no mention of “Canelo Mobile” on the boxer’s current website. I reached out to Álvarez’s publicist for a comment but didn’t receive a response in time.

It’s tough to gauge Canelo Mobile’s success — its social media profiles had only a few thousand followers and didn’t attract much media attention — but it likely generated enough revenue for Liberty Mobile to justify a second attempt.

The key difference between the two ventures is that Trump Mobile emphasizes its own hardware manufacturing, which Hendrickson claims sets it apart from competitors. “There’s never been an MVNO or a carrier that has built their own phone,” he stated. While other carriers have offered branded devices, they’re typically produced under contract by third-party manufacturers. Trump Mobile, with its “final assembly” in Miami, asserts a more hands-on approach.

However, this claim seems at odds with Hendrickson’s insistence that the company primarily operates as an MVNO. When discussing future plans, he’s more focused on adding new phone plans and expanding internationally than on producing more devices. Hendrickson refers to the T1 Phone as “this little thing that we wanted to do,” while Thomas emphasizes that the company’s goal is to attract subscribers, viewing the phone as merely a tool to achieve that.

“We’re in the razor blade business, we’re not in the razor business,” Hendrickson explains, highlighting that Trump Mobile’s core business is selling mobile plans. This approach is said to benefit customers: since the phone isn’t the main profit driver, it can be sold at a “much thinner margin,” leading to a more affordable product. However, I’m not convinced the Trump phone offers great value — its updated specs align with other mid-range Android devices, many of which are cheaper and may outperform it in features like wireless charging or water resistance. The company’s refurbished Apple and Samsung phones also seem like poor deals.

Then again, the question of value is part of why Hendrickson, Thomas, and O’Brien transitioned from a boxer to a reality TV star-turned-president. Canelo Mobile was cheaper than Trump Mobile, even when adjusting for inflation. Plans started at $15 per month, with phones priced from $199.99. In contrast, Trump Mobile’s only available plan is $47.45 monthly, and the T1 Phone is currently listed at $499, with expectations of a price increase upon launch, potentially nearing double that. They argue that Trump represents a premium brand.

“You think of Trump and I immediately think of quality. I think of a higher-level brand,” Hendrickson states. “For us, it’s about honoring that brand, honoring that legacy of quality and integrity.”