Trump’s gold-plated phone raises fears of Chinese spies

Theories about how the mobile phone is a ‘spy phone’ for the superpower are spreading as an investigation has been launched into a possible security flaw on Trump’s mobile website, which appears to have exposed the personal details of an estimated 27,000 people who wanted to buy a gold-coloured smartphone.

Trump Mobile said in a statement that it was investigating the issue — “with the assistance of independent cybersecurity professionals” — where the full names, addresses and phone numbers of people who filled out pre-order forms appeared to be public.

Trump Mobile said: “Based on available information, we have found no evidence that Trump Mobile’s systems, infrastructure or network have been directly compromised.”

It added: “At this time, the incident does not appear to involve Trump Mobile payment card information, banking information, Social Security numbers, call records, text messages, or other highly sensitive financial data. At this time, the affected information appears to be limited to certain customer data, including names, email addresses, mailing addresses, order identifiers, and mobile phone numbers.”

Analysts have noted that the physical specifications and chassis of the Trump mobile are very similar to phones designed and manufactured in Taiwan, such as the HTC U24 Pro.

Hardware analysts have pointed out that the smartphone’s ODM (original device manufacturer) is based in China and key components such as OLED screens and battery cells are mainly sourced from China.

It has also sparked mockery, as the American flag design on the back of the handset appears to have 11 stripes instead of 13.

Melanie D’Arrigo, an executive director of a New York health care advocacy group, labeled the product as “overpriced” and “outdated” — and “preloaded with propaganda that is no longer ‘made in the USA.’

She added that the gaffe was “the perfect metaphor for Trump’s Republican Party.”