Donald Trump has been forced to give up his beloved Android smartphone as he steps into the White House.
He has now been issued a “secure, encrypted device approved by the Secret Service,” alongside a new phone number that only a few people will posses.
Trump had been using a Samsung Galaxy device, according to a profile published by The New York Times last October. He never used email on it, but as we all know, he is a serial tweeter, which has earned him over 20.5 million followers so far.
The president cannot use any old smartphone; it has to be super-secure. Sadly, Samsung devices running Android are not. According to the Associated Press, Trump has now traded his for something better suited to his new role — but it’s unclear what that is.
When Barack Obama became president in 2009, he famously refused to give up his BlackBerry smartphone without a fight. After more than two months of discussions, it was decided that he could keep it so long as it was heavily modified to be more secure.
Obama did upgrade that BlackBerry eventually, reportedly to an iPhone. However, he told Jimmy Fallon last summer that his handset did not have the ability to download apps, take pictures, or even play music. It could be used to browse the web and read the news.
It’s unclear whether Trump has also opted for a restricted iPhone. It would be an interesting choice given his relationship with Apple throughout his campaign. At one point, Trump called for an Apple boycott when the company refused to unlock a handset for the FBI.
Trump’s old phone could now end up in the Newseum, a museum that chronicles the First Amendment and the evolution of electronic communication. Curators reportedly reached out to Trump’s campaign last November to request the device, but they’re yet to get a reply.
Killian Bell is a freelance writer based in the U.K. He has an interest in all things tech and also covers Android over at CultofAndroid.com. You can follow him on Twitter via @killianbell.
6 responses to “Donald Trump forced to give up his beloved Android”
May I suggest a product from Cinco called Innernette for Big Baby Donnie?
I thought Trump was Pro-American. The last time I checked, Samsung isn’t an American based company. I swear Trump is one of the biggest hypocrites. EVER.
“Donald Trump forced to give up his beloved Android”
Trump IS an android; merely an imitation of a man. Sentient beings do not tune in to his drivel, therefore the actual instrument hardly matters. For all his specious proclamations and insults, der neue Führer Trumpf might just as well use two tin cans and a string. I do believe, however, that Twitter should close down the Infant-in-Chief’s account. Children should be seen and not heard. In Trumpf’s case, neither would be preferable.
This is a tech site. I do NOT want to wade through posts by Republicans and Democrats battling out their post election campaigns on this website. There are many other forums for political posts.
Trump always seemed like the Droid type.
Why are you writing BS story, not true, Trump had an iPhone, and one of his staff members was writing tweets with Android, secondly, a US Presidents number is not a big seacret, it’s just that if you call it and you are not approved or on the list you get forwarded to the central desk, then you get redirected, either to president if you are approved or to his staff, so why are you making up stories I don’t know