August 13, 2025

Get ready for a fresh twist in the smartphone world! On Tuesday, the startup Unplugged announced a bold step: it will begin assembling its privacy-focused UP Phone in Nevada this fall. This is a thrilling shift because until now these phones were made far away in Indonesia. Joe Weil, the company's CEO and a former Apple executive, shared this news with Reuters. He said, "The first step we are approaching is assembly and then phasing in component sourcing." Why Nevada and why now? The answer lies in America's call to bring back manufacturing at home. President Donald Trump has been pushing companies, including big giants like Apple, to make more products inside the US by using tariffs and other strong methods. Even though making smartphones in the US is expensive due to high labor costs and a supply chain centered in Asia, Unplugged is taking on the challenge. Joe Weil explained how they plan to beat the big costs: "Unplugged said it plans to avoid some of the high costs tied to US assembling by building devices in smaller, steady batches instead of releasing a new model every year." This clever approach could prove a game changer for local production. The UP Phone won’t just be about where it’s made. It’s a privacy powerhouse loaded with smart features. The latest model, ready to ship by late September and available for pre-order, includes a year of Unplugged’s software suite with firewall-based tracker blocking, a VPN, and encrypted photo storage. After one year, users can continue the service at $12.99 per month. The shiny new phone holds the same hardware as last year's model but shines with a fresh redesigned interface, a new firewall dashboard, and better camera software. Prices will remain below $1,000 — impressive considering US labor costs! Unplugged did not reveal how many phones it will assemble or the name of its manufacturing partner, keeping the mystery alive. The company also stayed quiet on details about its financial backers and funding amount. In the same buzz, Trump Mobile, a cellphone service and smartphone brand licensing the president’s name, also said it plans to assemble its first phone, the T1 handset, in the US. Looks like local smartphone production is heating up! With Unplugged’s move, American shoppers might soon get phones made closer to home, packed with privacy and patriotism! Will others follow? Stay tuned!

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Tags: Unplugged, Smartphone assembly, Us manufacturing, Joe weil, Privacy phone, Nevada,