Trump's Presumed 'All-American' Phone Origination: According to Supply Chain Experts, Possibly Asia, Likely China
Let's dive into the mystery surrounding the maker of the Trump Mobile T1, the $499 smartphone with a shiny gold case. Many industry insiders are skeptical about Donald Trump Jr's claim that the device could be " Made in the USA."
China, the leading global powerhouse in smartphone manufacturing since 2011, is a prime suspect. Approximately 60 to 80% of the world's smartphone production happens in China, and one in every three suppliers for Apple's iPhones operates out of China.
The Trump T1, adorned with an eye-catching AMOLED screen, boasts a fingerprint sensor with facial recognition capabilities and a primary camera of 50 million pixels. It operates on Google's Android 15 and claims to be a proud product of the USA, but fails to name its chip supplier.
The problem? There are no manufacturers outside Asia that can produce the AMOLED screens used in the Trump T1. The global supply of these screens is roughly evenly split between South Korean and Chinese manufacturers. Joy Guo, principal analyst of Omdia's displays group, explains that there are five AMOLED producers in China and all of them manufacture locally while South Korean plants can be found within the country and in Vietnam.
So, who's behind the AMOLED screen in the Trump T1? South Korean giants like Samsung and LG are leading AMOLED screen production globally. It's highly unlikely that the Trump T1's AMOLED screen is built in the US, given the technical challenges of AMOLED production outside Asia. Initial production of the phone will reportedly take place in China, with companies like Wingtech—a partially state-owned Chinese phone and semiconductor manufacturer—involved in production.
In the grand scheme of things, the production of AMOLED panels is complex and is primarily handled by Asian manufacturers, mostly in South Korea and China. While the Trump Organization aims to manufacture parts of the T1 phone in USA locations, establishing large-scale AMOLED manufacturing in the US could take at least half a decade for major players like Samsung or Apple. Thus, it's almost certain that the AMOLED screens in the Trump T1 are sourced from Asian producers, primarily South Korean firms Samsung and LG, or Chinese manufacturers, not crafted in America.
The Trump T1's high-quality AMOLED screen, a key feature of the smartphone, is not likely to be locally produced in the USA, given the current state of AMOLED production technology. Instead, South Korean giants like Samsung and LG, who are leading global AMOLED screen production, are potential sources for the screens in the Trump T1. Moreover, initial production of the Trump T1 will probably take place in China, involving manufacturers like Wingtech, further pointing towards Asian sources for the AMOLED screens.
