Experts question whether $499 gold Trump phone can be US-made

The phone will also come alongside a mobile phone service with a monthly fee of $47.45.

The figure is a reference to Trump serving as the country's 47th and 45th president.

Trump has said he has put his business interests in a trust, which is managed by his children. The White House has maintained he acts in the interests of all Americans.

But Ms Faulkner said the latest venture raised familiar issues, including whether the new business will win customers from people hoping to influence Trump and how the president will craft policies and regulation for an industry in which his family now has a stake.

The deal is an extension of a business strategy that Trump embraced long before his presidency, striking deals to sell his name to hoteliers and golf course operators in exchange for fees and royalties.

But the opportunities to profit from his brand have expanded since he entered politics a decade ago.

In his most recent financial disclosure, Trump reported making more than $600m last year, including millions from items such as Trump-branded bibles, watches sneakers and fragrances.

Forbes in March estimated his net worth was $5.1bn, more than double what it was a year earlier.

It said the surge was due in part to the president's "diehard following", which is credited with helping to prop up the value of Trump's social media company that runs the Truth Social platform, which accounted for roughly half his wealth last year.

The idea of a Trump-related smartphone has received mixed reaction online with some people ready to buy it and others mocking the concept.

"Where do I have to wait in line to buy the new Trump phone?" one X user wrote.

Others have mocked the design, and poked fun at the phone habits of the man it's named after, asking if texts on the new handset will all be in capital letters.

The mobile phone market in the US is currently dominated by three major players: AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile, which all offer phone service starting at less than $40 a month.

There are also a growing number of smaller firms paying to use those networks to target niche groups of potential customers, by offering lower prices or tailored plans.

The largest of those companies, which are known as mobile virtual network providers, have less than 10 million subscribers, according to a 2024 report by the Federal Communications Commission.

Mint Mobile, which was backed by Hollywood star Ryan Reynolds, was sold to T-Mobile for $1.35bn in 2023. At the time, one analyst estimated the service had roughly two to three million subscribers.

The actor had a 25% stake in the business, giving him a potential payout of about $300m.