Donald Trump’s gold phone faced a harsh early review after a tech editor compared its color to a “urine sample.” The Trump-branded device also raised questions over its delayed rollout, smaller screen, and shifting U.S.-made notion. The $500 phone reached select media testers nearly a year after its announcement. It also put fresh focus on Trump Mobile’s packaging, customer shipments, and original Made in America public pitch.
Donald Trump’s gold phone compared to ‘urine sample’ by CNET’s Patrick Holland
During a CNN interview, CNET managing editor Patrick Holland said the device looked “nothing like the original image.” He said that the image resembled “an altered iPhone 16 Pro.” He then targeted the color, saying it sometimes looked like “those gold coins that Scrooge McDuck would jump into.” However, Holland added that it also had “a mustard vibe,” and sometimes looked like “a urine sample.”
As per The Daily Beast report, the phone was announced nearly a year earlier. It reached select media members months after its original launch window. Meanwhile, Holland said he would not recommend it because key technical details remained unclear. “We don’t know what the processor is in the phone,” he said. He also questioned, “what the software and security updates will be?”
The review also questioned the device’s U.S. branding. The phone was first promoted as being made in America. However, later Holland described it as “designed with American values in mind.” Holland said the box read “assembled in the USA.” Still, he noted that it could be interpreted literally as box assembly. CNET’s testing found performance similar to the Taiwanese HTC U24 Pro 5G. Holland called that model “not a bad phone,” but “certainly not made in the USA.”
Still, the rollout faced questions beyond the look. The Daily Beast noted that the device had Truth Social pre-installed and an old-school headphone jack. It also reportedly featured an American flag with 11 stripes. Trump Mobile CEO Pat O’Brien told CNN that “the technology business is more difficult than some may realize.” He also cited “incredibly high demand,” saying orders were being filled quickly.
Originally written by Santanu Das on Reality Tea.
