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.
