iFixit Teardown Reveals Trump Phone is an HTC Knockoff

After dissecting a Trump phone, it’s been confirmed that the T1 Phone is nearly a carbon copy of the HTC U24 Pro. A teardown conducted by a repair expert revealed that both devices share a strikingly similar design and functionality.

The teardown involved scanning both phones with a CT scanner and breaking them down into their components. Remarkably, they were even reassembled into a working hybrid device, utilizing the U24 Pro’s internals within the T1 Phone’s casing, which solidified the conclusion that they are functionally the same.

There are a few minor variations: the flash has been repositioned, the speaker grille has seen some adjustments, and while the chipset specifications are identical, the Trump phone uses a Micron chip, whereas the HTC version is equipped with one from SK Hynix. The most notable difference lies in the battery; the Trump phone features a slightly larger cell manufactured in the Philippines, but it supports slower 30W charging compared to its counterpart.

The similarities between the T1 Phone and the U24 Pro were already suspected due to their shared chassis design, nearly identical specifications, and matching ports for headphones and microSD cards. This teardown has provided further validation of those suspicions.

HTC has previously stated that it does not design or manufacture phones for third parties, yet it has remained tight-lipped about the U24 Pro’s production details. Given HTC’s sale of most of its smartphone division to Google in 2017, it’s plausible that a third-party manufacturer was contracted for the U24 Pro, which Trump Mobile likely utilized for the T1 Phone as well. The U24 Pro was produced in China, so it raises questions about the manufacturing location of the Trump phone.