As we wait for the T1, the first phone from Trump Mobile, the mobile phone service provider run by Donald Trump’s Trump Organization, the would-be carrier is now offering iPhones for sale with its service–not any of the iPhones from Apple’s current lineup, but two “renewed” models. While touting “premium performance” for the iPhone 14 and 15, it offers, we recommend steering clear no matter which side of the political aisle you’re on.
To start, “renewed” is just another way of saying refurbished. The iPhone 15 is a two-year-old phone, and since Apple doesn’t manufacture it anymore, any iPhone 15 stock being sold is likely to be refurbished. And to promote an older phone as a premium performer—even an iPhone—seems like a stretch.
But the real reason why this isn’t a good deal is the price. Trump Mobile sells the iPhone 15 for $629, but you can get a brand new iPhone 16e that’s almost the same as the iPhone 15 for $599. Both phones have 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR displays, but the 16e body is actually a little smaller than the iPhone 15. Both have 128GB of storage, but the 16e has a faster A18 chip, while the 15 uses the older A16–in our iPhone 16e review, we found the 16e to be significantly faster than the iPhone 15.
The iPhone 15 does have a dedicated main and ultra-wide camera, while the iPhone 16e has a two-in-one camera. But if your priority in a phone is the camera, you’re probably not buying an old phone to begin with.
Another potentially major drawback to the iPhone 15 is that it does not support Apple Intelligence. The iPhone 16e does. When Apple finally gets its act together (possibly next year) with its AI features, the iPhone 15 will be sitting it out.
For $489, Trump Mobile also sells a renewed iPhone 14, which is even slower and less capable than the iPhone 15.
Oh, and Apple is selling the iPhone 15 in its own Certified Refurbished Store, which is unlocked and can be used with any carrier, for $529. And the Amazon Renewed Store in the U.S. sells a renewed 128GB iPhone 15 for $490–a lot cheaper than Trump Mobile’s price, and you don’t have to sign up for an unknown mobile service, either.
Tump Mobile is a mobile virtual network operator that provides mobile service through partnerships with the major carriers. It claims that its phones, including the refurbished iPhones, are “brought to life right here in the USA.”
Author: Roman Loyola, Senior Editor, Macworld
Roman is a Macworld Senior Editor with over 30 years of experience covering the tech industry, focusing on the Mac and other products in the Apple ecosystem. He is also the host of the Macworld Podcast. His career started at MacUser, where he received Apple certification as a repair technician (when Apple did that kind of thing). He's also worked for MacAddict, MacLife, and TechTV.