By Wyatte Grantham-Philips
NEW YORK (AP) – More and more celebrities are trying to attach their name to your phone. Rather, wireless services that can enhance this.
From cosmetics to snacks and signature spirits, brands launched and shared by high-profile figures are almost everywhere today. However, some big names are also challenging the market for mobile virtual network operators, or MVNOS. MVNO is the industry term for companies that provide cell coverage by leasing infrastructure from larger, more established carriers.
US President Donald Trump’s family was the latest to join the list at the launch of Trump Mobile this week. Here’s what you need to know.
Which big names have entered the telephone business?
On Monday, the Trump organization (now run by the president’s sons Eric and Donald Jr.) announced Trump Mobile. The company says the new business will provide cell services through an apparent licensing agreement with “all three major mobile phones” in the US and will sell gold phones by August.
Trump Mobile has already marked the latest in a series of new Trump brand offerings ranging from golden sneakers to the “God the Usa” Bible, from golden sneakers to the “God Bless the Usa” Bible, despite raising ethical concerns that the president is profiting from his own standpoint and could distort public policies for his personal interest.
“This raises real questions about conflicts of interest,” said Ben Benzin, an associate professor at the University of Texas’ Macombs School at Austin. As a sitting president, Trump has appointed leadership for the Federal Communications Commission, and a new family phone venture will be under this regulator.
All of this is set apart from other big names that have recently challenged Trump Mobile into the wireless business. Still, the launch arrives when many celebrities who make use of the space arrive.
Last week, actors Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes and Will Arnett launched Smartless Mobile, a name that mirrors the trio’s “Smartless” podcast. I currently live across the adjacent US and Puerto Rico, where Smartless Mobile runs on T-Mobile’s 5G network.
Another wireless provider with a connection to fame is Mint Mobile. Although not released by celebrities, Ryan Reynolds purchased Mint’s ownership shares in 2019. Mint’s parent, Kaena Corporation, was acquired by T-Mobile for transactions worth up to $1.35 billion.
Beyond celebrities’ names, well-known brands that were not traditionally the phone business have also been involved in the action for many years. He points out, for example, Walmart’s “bait” mobile plan in Mexico, and the Italian football club AC Milan launches its own mobile SIM card for fans.
“The MVNO market is nothing new,” Garcia Granados said. “What’s new is the development of (easiness) for brands to launch such plans.”
MVNOs are also appearing outside of high-profile brands or launch teams. Benzin points out straight talk and cricket. This is currently owned by Verizon and AT&T. Still, traditional celebrities support is entirely common. In recent years, “influencer marketing” has become “the fastest growth area for advertising and promotion.”
What are these cell services? Why were they released?
For Trump Mobile, the pitch appears to be all about having “national services,” while still taking advantage of the president’s fan base.
The company noted on Monday that Trump chose to announce Trump Mobile on the 10th anniversary of his launch of “his historic presidential campaign.” The names given to the flagship offer, 47 plans, and the monthly fee of $47.45 refer to the two terms of office of the President. And a gold phone mockup planned on the company’s website shows Trump’s “American Great” slogan on the front screen.
According to the company, Trump Mobile’s 47 plans include unlimited calls, texts, data and free roadside assistance and telehealth services via partner carriers. It also says a new phone called the “T1 Phone” will be available for $499 in August, but note that the device will not be designed or created by Trump Mobile. Still, the company emphasized that these phones will be built in the US.
Experts then share skepticism about what is possible in two months. It also emphasizes that over future T1 phones, the monthly cell service fee of just under $50 a month is expensive compared to other MVNO options.
“It’s not an actual pricing. We’re actually trading Trump’s fan base,” Benzin said.
Of course, Smartless Mobile and Mint Mobile do not have these same political ties. The wireless plans offered by both boast cheaper products.
Mint, owned by T-Mobile, promotes “flexible, buy-in-bulk” plans ranging from $15 to $30 a month. Each option includes unlimited talk and text nationwide, but depends on the length of your plan and the amount of data. Founded in 2016, Mint said it started out “because there were plenty of games in the wireless industry” and promises to help consumers avoid hidden fees.
Smartless Mobile plans also start at $15 a month. Depending on the amount of data you purchase, that base fee could rise to $30, but all plans likewise use T-Mobile’s network to provide unlimited calls and text. When launched last week, Smartless emphasized that it’s about helping people stop paying for data they don’t use, noting that the majority of the data consumers use today occurs with Wi-Fi.
“Seriously, if your phone bill knows how often you use Wi-Fi, that’s embarrassing,” Hayes said in a statement of Smartless Mobile’s June 10 launch.
What is the demand?
MVNO has proven to be an attractive acquisition of a large wireless carrier for many years. But whether Star Factor has promised that the latest entrants in the market are not yet seen significant demand.
For a more established Mint Mobile, Reynolds’ investment is a success story. It was estimated that the 25% stake the actor owned in 2023 would give him more than $300 million in cash and a personal windfall of stock when the company announced it would be acquired by T-Mobile. And since that deal ended, Reynolds has remained the face of Mint’s creative role and many campaigns, with the brand continuing to attract new customers.
It is not surprising that such business returns will attract other celebrities and make similar investments, Benzin notes. Still, no new ventures have been tested. And, “As the market gets more crowded, it can become more and more difficult to choose individual consumers,” he added.
Beyond famous names, the quality of service and what consumers can buy are also important.
“The battlefield for competition here is brand and price,” Benzin said.
Still, if marketing is correct and the products meet consumer needs, experts like Garcia Granados point out that MVNOS can become a profitable business for both the brands that start them with and the telecommunications giants like T-Mobile, Verizon and AT&T, which provide this “wholesale” access.
As a result, he said such a well-known venture would become “a catalyst that others should follow.”
Associated business writer Bernard Condon contributed to this report from New York.
Original issue: June 19, 2025, 7:29pm EDT
