Welcome to Tech Brief. Today we’re looking at Trump Mobile, the new $499 smartphone and $47.45 monthly plan launched by the Trump Organization. At a recent press conference, Donald Trump Jr. promised “telemedicine on their phones for one flat monthly fee, roadside assistance on their cars, unlimited texting to 100 countries.” But experts are baffled. “This latest move raises more questions than answers,” says analyst Paolo Pescatore, noting it’s unclear how the service will actually work if it relies on Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile networks. Independent analyst Horace Dediu calls it “a bit of a throwback to a thing that was popular 10 or 15 years ago,” and points out MVNOs hold less than 5% of the U.S. market. With Apple dominating and Trump Mobile targeting a different income bracket, success is far from certain—and major carriers may even push back against the arrangement.
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