iFixit Trump Phone Teardown Confirms It’s an HTC Clone
▼ Summary
– iFixit confirmed the T1 Phone is an almost exact duplicate of the HTC U24 Pro by tearing down and swapping parts between the two devices.
– Minor differences include a slightly moved flash, tweaked speaker grille, and different chipset suppliers (Micron for Trump phone, SK Hynix for HTC).
– The Trump phone has a slightly larger battery made in the Philippines with slower 30W charging, compared to the U24 Pro’s battery.
– HTC stated it does not design or manufacture phones for third parties, suggesting both phones were likely made by the same third-party contractor in China.
– The article invites readers to submit tips about Trump Mobile or the Trump phone via secure contact methods.
After getting its hands on a Trump phone and tearing it apart, iFixit has confirmed what I first reported back in February: the T1 Phone is an almost exact duplicate of the HTC U24 Pro. The teardown, conducted in partnership with NBC, involved CT scanning both devices, disassembling them component by component, and even swapping the U24 Pro’s motherboard into the Trump phone’s chassis to create a fully functional hybrid. This experiment left little doubt that the two phones are functionally identical at the hardware level.
While the core design and specs match, the teardown revealed a few minor tweaks. The flash module has been repositioned slightly, the speaker grille received a subtle redesign, and the chipset package , though identical in specifications , is supplied by Micron for the Trump phone and by SK Hynix for the HTC. The most notable change involves the battery. The Trump phone’s cell is slightly larger in capacity and manufactured in the Philippines instead of China, though it supports slower 30W charging compared to the HTC model.
These findings align with earlier suspicions that the T1 Phone and the U24 Pro share a common origin. Both devices feature the same distinctive chassis design, nearly identical specs, and matching headphone jacks and microSD card slots. iFixit’s work here just about confirms that connection.
HTC previously told The Verge that it “does not design or manufacture phones for third parties,” but declined to provide specifics about the U24 Pro’s production. Given that HTC sold most of its smartphone business to Google in 2017, it appears the company contracted a third-party manufacturer for the U24 Pro. Trump Mobile likely turned to that same manufacturer for its T1 Phone. As I reported last week, the U24 Pro was built in China. Now the question remains: where is the Trump phone actually made?
(Source: The Verge)
