Trump Mobile T1 Phone logo shows the wrong number of US flag stripes

In short: The Verge says Trump Mobile’s T1 Phone appears to use a US flag logo with the wrong number of stripes, and its promo video shows inconsistent versions of the logo.

What's going on

The Verge reports that the Trump Mobile T1 Phone, a gold-colored smartphone promoted by Trump Mobile, shows a US flag on the back with 11 stripes. The US flag normally has 13 stripes, which represent the original 13 colonies.

The Verge also says this was not always the case. In a version of the phone shown earlier this year, the flag graphic appeared to have the correct 13 stripes. The article suggests the logo was changed later in a way that removed stripes.

In a promotional video released by Trump Mobile, The Verge spotted another odd detail. One close-up shot appears to show a version of the flag with only nine stripes. The video also shows other inconsistencies, like different-looking gold textures, different boot-up screens, and different box designs.

The article raises the possibility that some parts of the marketing video could be made with generative AI, which is software that can create images and video from a text request (like asking a computer to “make a shiny phone ad”). At the same time, The Verge notes a brief shot that seems to show a scratch on the phone, which could suggest at least some footage came from a real device.

What to watch

Trump Mobile has said the phone will ship soon, but The Verge says it has not received shipping updates for phones it ordered, and it could not find credible reports from customers saying they received shipment notices. If more buyers start sharing tracking emails and real photos, it should become clearer whether the phone is widely shipping and what the final design actually looks like.

Source: The Verge AI