Latest news with #ToddWeaver
Mint
20 hours ago
- Business
- Mint
'Classic vaporware': Trump Organization drops ‘made in US' claim for T1 phone as analysts point to China production
The Trump Organization announced its cellular brand called T1 earlier this month, heavily emphasising that the devices would be 'made in the USA", keeping in line with Trump administration policies. Now, just 10 days later, the company is silently erasing those claims. This shift comes following analysts' consensus that the phones are likely to be produced in China. The official website for the T1 phone has removed all languages which indicated the phone would be manufactured in the US. Now the website uses more ambiguous phrasing, stating the phone was "designed with American values in mind' and 'brought to life right here in the USA,' Fortune reported. Beyond the manufacturing claims, The Verge reported that the T1 phone's specifications have also been scaled back since it was introduced. The screen is now smaller, having been reduced from 6.78 inches to 6.25 inches, and all information about RAM has also been removed. Furthermore, while the phones were initially promised to be released in September, the company has since adjusted that language to read 'later this year'. Despite these changes, the subscribers are still required to pay $100 up front for the device, the news agency said. Scepticism about Trump Mobile's claims emerged almost immediately upon its announcement. Todd Weaver, CEO of Purism, the only company currently producing a US-made smartphone, told Fortune, 'As someone who's spent over a decade building a secure, privacy-first smartphone, focusing on manufacturing in the US, and I can say this with confidence: Producing a fully US-made phone isn't something you spin up overnight.' 'If the Trump phone is promising a $499 price tag with domestic manufacturing, this announcement looks to be classic vaporware.' Purism's phone costs $650 to produce and retails for $2,000. US President Donald Trump has been an avid proponent of reshoring US manufacturing, using tariffs as leverage to convince companies to build plants in the US and attacking Apple for manufacturing its iPhones in Asia, the news agency reported.
New York Post
5 days ago
- Business
- New York Post
Liberty Phone touts ‘made in the USA electronics' — but costs $1,999
A California-based company has come out with a smartphone that is almost entirely manufactured in the US, although it uses outdated parts and its technology can't compete with the iPhone — and it costs $2,000. The privacy-focused Liberty Phone by the tech startup Purism is assembled, tested and packaged in the US, with its printed circuit board (PCB) also manufactured domestically. Software development, including the PureOS operating system, is handled entirely in the US. The mainboard, which is the central circuit board that allows communication between all the major components, and the key circuit board modules are made domestically. Advertisement 5 Purism, a Carlsbad, Calif-based tech company, is marketing a $1,999 smartphone made up of parts almost entirely sourced in the US. However, key components like the chassis, camera, modem and WiFi/BT modules are sourced from overseas suppliers, primarily in China and India. The screen and battery are imported from China while the camera is made in South Korea. 'I've been working on this for 10 years and we've done everything we possibly can to build from US manufacturing,' Todd Weaver, founder and CEO of Purism, told the Wall Street Journal. Advertisement The processor is made by a Dutch firm while the chip itself could be manufactured either in South Korea or elsewhere in Asia or Europe. 'There are just some parts that don't yet have a supply chain. We're gonna keep incrementing there until we can get to that point.' Weaver, whose assembly line consists of four people screwing phones together by hand, told the Journal that Purism is capable of producing Liberty Phones at a rate of about 10,000 per month. Advertisement Thus far, he said his company, which was founded in 2014, has sold fewer than 100,000. Weaver told NBC News that it took Purism six years from initially conceiving the phone as a vision to actually producing it and selling it. By comparison, Apple's manufacturing partner Foxconn is said to be capable of producing up to 500,000 iPhones per day during peak periods — which translates into 10,000 iPhones per every 12 minutes at maximum capacity. Purism emphasizes its US-based manufacturing for security-critical elements, while acknowledging the global nature of its supply chain. 5 Todd Weaver, founder and CEO of Purism, said his company has sold fewer than 100,000 Liberty Phones. Purism Advertisement While Purism is unable to compete with the tech behemoths on price and features, its main sales pitch is for security-conscious consumers who don't want their data collected by the likes of Apple and Google. The Liberty Phone runs PureOS, an open-source Linux-based operating system. The device features hardware kill switches that physically disconnect the microphone, camera, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and baseband modem — capabilities virtually unheard of in mainstream smartphones. But PureOS allows the user to engage in rudimentary functions only, such as calling, texting, web browsing and using basic apps such as a calculator, according to the Journal. Half of those who bought the Liberty are US government workers who are attracted to the phone's more stringent security and privacy features, the Journal reported. 5 Purism is marketing the phone to security-conscious consumers worried about their privacy being compromised by tech giants. 'On the consumer side, it's security geeks, parents who want a phone for their kid, elderly people or people who want to avoid big tech,' says Weaver. 'Someone who needs a wicked-strong camera is not our audience.' President Donald Trump has repeatedly pressured Apple and other major firms to shift manufacturing to the US, threatening a 25% tariff on iPhones made overseas. He has criticized Apple CEO Tim Cook for expanding production in India and insists that iPhones sold in the US should be built domestically. Advertisement While Apple has invested in US infrastructure and AI development, experts say relocating full iPhone production to America would be prohibitively expensive and logistically complex. Trump's family-owned Trump Organization recently unveiled its own Android-powered smartphone called the T1. 5 Smartphone retailers like Samsung rely on supply chains that are based overseas. REUTERS Although the phone is marketed as 'made in the USA,' analysts believe it's likely produced by a Chinese manufacturer with minimal US involvement. Advertisement The business operates as a licensing deal, with Trump branding licensed to T1 Mobile LLC, targeting conservative consumers seeking American-themed alternatives. Apple typically sells tens of millions of iPhones each month, with exact figures varying by quarter and market conditions. Based on recent data, Apple shipped approximately 151.3 million iPhones in the first nine months of 2024. This averages out to about 16.8 million iPhones per month during that period. Google currently produces about 43,000–45,000 Pixel smartphones per month in India, while its global shipments average 766,000 units monthly based on data from the second quarter of last year. In comparison, Samsung produces around 20 million smartphones per month globally, with up to 5 million Galaxy S25 units manufactured in peak launch months like January 2025. Advertisement 5 Last week, the Trump Organization unveiled a new smartphone that is being marketed as 'made in the USA.' Getty Images Apple's iPhone lineup ranges from $599 for the iPhone 16E to $1,399+ for the iPhone 16 Pro Max, with popular models like the iPhone 16 and 16 Pro priced at $799 and $999, respectively. Google's Pixel series starts at $499 for the Pixel 9a and climbs to $1,799 for the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, while the standard Pixel 9 and 9 Pro cost $799 and $999. Samsung's Galaxy S25 models begin around $799, rise to $999–$1,099 for the S25 Plus, and top out at $1,299–$1,419 for the S25 Ultra, depending on the retailer. Advertisement While most iPhones are manufactured in China, Google Pixels are produced in Vietnam and China. Samsung Galaxy devices are primarily made in South Korea, Vietnam and India. The Post has sought comment from Weaver and Purism.
CNET
5 days ago
- Business
- CNET
Trump Mobile Draws Attention to Purism's $1,999 Liberty Phone
The Trump Organization drew headlines last week when it announced the launch of Trump Mobile, a cell service with plans to release a gold T1 phone in September. One of its selling points, according to the website, is that the T1 phone is "Proudly made in America," though that does not appear it will be the case when the phone launches, among other issues. An independent phone maker based in San Francisco, however, has been working on the closest thing to a smartphone made almost entirely in the US: The $1,999 Liberty Phone. Purism, which has been around since 2014, says its handset, which has a 5.7-inch screen and runs a proprietary operating system called PureOS, is primarily made in Texas and California with almost all of its manufacturing and assembly done domestically. The exceptions, according to its website, are a Chinese-made chassis and some chip components sourced to China or India. Its main processor is made by Austin-based NXP and was originally intended for automobiles. The Trump Mobile launch has raised questions as to whether it's possible to manufacture a smartphone entirely in the United States and release it at a price most customers could afford. Nearly all modern smartphones contain parts assembled primarily in China or other countries including South Korea, Vietnam or India. In a conversation with the Wall Street Journal, Purism founder Todd Weaver said his company has sold fewer than 100,000 at a cost to the company of about $650 each and are not expected to compete with the latest iPhone or Samsung devices. "On the consumer side, it's security geeks, parents who want a phone for their kid, elderly people or people who want to avoid big tech," Weaver said of his customers. "Someone who needs a wicked-strong camera is not our audience."
Mint
7 days ago
- Business
- Mint
The $1,999 Liberty Phone is made in America. Its creator explains how.
Next Story Ben Raab , The Wall Street Journal Purism's Liberty Phone, priced at $1,999, is the most advanced U.S.-made smartphone but lacks competitive specs compared to the iPhone. Limited by domestic supply chains and higher costs, it sources components globally. Despite scaling potential, Purism sells fewer than 100,000 units, as many parts still come from Asia. The phone's unique features cater to security-conscious users. Purism's $1,999 Liberty Phone is assembled in the U.S. with parts from the U.S. and elsewhere, including China. Photo: Purism Gift this article It is possible to build a smartphone in the U.S. right now. But it won't be as sleek or as powerful as an iPhone, and it will cost a lot more. It is possible to build a smartphone in the U.S. right now. But it won't be as sleek or as powerful as an iPhone, and it will cost a lot more. Todd Weaver's company, Purism, developed the Liberty Phone, the closest anyone has gotten. It has specs that would have been more impressive a decade ago, and it costs $1,999. President Trump has threatened steep tariffs on foreign-made smartphones to pressure companies like Apple to shift manufacturing stateside. Meanwhile, the Trump Organization is promoting a 'Made in the U.S.A." phone for $499 with specs that deem it unlikely to be built here anytime soon. Supply-chain analysts agree it's impossible to match Asia's production quality and scale for now. But Weaver's Liberty Phone, not the Trump phone, offers a unique look at the realities of domestic manufacturing. And why nobody else is doing it. The Liberty Phone's motherboard is built in-house, the chip comes from Texas, and the assembly is done at Purism's facility in Carlsbad, Calif. But not all of its parts are U.S. made: Other components come from China and other Asian countries. 'I've been working on this for 10 years and we've done everything we possibly can to build from U.S. manufacturing," Weaver says. 'There are just some parts that don't yet have a supply chain. We're gonna keep incrementing there until we can get to that point." Weaver says he can produce Liberty Phones at a rate of about 10,000 a month, but so far, he's sold fewer than 100,000. By comparison, Apple shipped around 225 million phones in 2024, according to market analyst firm Canalys. The Liberty Phone also doesn't run on Android or iOS. Its processor, produced by Dutch semiconductor firm NXP in Austin, Texas, is designed for cars, not smartphones. It runs on Purism's own PureOS, which is limited to calling, texting and web browsing, plus some basic apps like a calculator. Purism founder Todd Weaver holds up the Liberty Phone's motherboard, manufactured at the company's California facility. Photo: Purism The screen and battery come from China and the rear-facing camera comes from South Korea. Weaver says a fully U.S.-made phone is limited by a lack of domestic infrastructure. There are no companies mass-producing smartphone screens in the U.S., for example. Complications like this, even at Purism's small scale, help explain why Apple and others haven't made a serious attempt at producing premium smartphones in the U.S. 'Even if the specs were less impressive, it would take many, many years to be fully sourced out of the U.S. and not practical," says Jeff Fieldhack, a research director at Counterpoint Research. 'Cost aside, we don't have factories here building application processors, high-end displays or most of the other things in your smartphone." Weaver says the Liberty Phone costs about $650 to make. The iPhone 16 Pro Max, a much more powerful device, was estimated to cost around $550 to make in China last fall, according to TechInsights. Purism's higher U.S. labor costs are partially offset by cheaper, lower-quality parts: a basic camera, low-resolution screen and half the RAM. Weaver says the Liberty Phone isn't built to compete with an iPhone right now. He says the $1,999 retail price reflects a securely sourced phone with a vetted supply chain. About half of Purism's customers are government agencies across the U.S., he says. 'On the consumer side, it's security geeks, parents who want a phone for their kid, elderly people or people who want to avoid big tech," says Weaver. 'Someone who needs a wicked-strong camera is not our audience." Weaver estimates he could scale to building 100,000 phones a month within six months. But getting there would require investment to cover new machines, more line operators and added floor space. He has no traditional venture-capital funding, relying only on revenue and crowdfunding. Tariffs likely won't affect his costs at his current production rates because he ordered a large batch of parts when he started and still has them in supply at his facility. Weaver says that a long-term tariff on imported electronics could make the Liberty Phone's manufacturing cost more competitive, since the cheap components would only see marginal increases, and more components are likely to be built in the U.S. soon. While companies like Intel already manufacture chips in the U.S. and firms like TSMC and Micron are building domestic facilities, Fieldhack says those efforts are a small fraction of global production. Companies lack incentives to move more to American soil. 'A lot of it isn't leading edge, the cost is still high, and it would still take a long time," he says. Write to Ben Raab at Topics You May Be Interested In Catch all the Business News , Corporate news , Breaking News Events and Latest News Updates on Live Mint. Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates.
Wall Street Journal
21-06-2025
- Wall Street Journal
The $1,999 Liberty Phone Is Made in America. Its Creator Explains How.
It is possible to build a smartphone in the U.S. right now. But it won't be as sleek or as powerful as an iPhone, and it will cost a lot more. Todd Weaver's company, Purism, developed the Liberty Phone, the closest anyone has gotten. It has specs that would have been more impressive a decade ago, and it costs $1,999.
