The Freedom Phone meme emerged in mid-2021 after self-proclaimed Bitcoin millionaire Erik Finman announced a smartphone designed to escape Big Tech censorship. While marketed as a revolutionary device for patriots, the phone quickly became a subject of internet mockery when tech experts discovered it was a rebranded Umidigi A9 Pro—a budget Chinese handset—sold at a significant markup. The meme is typically used to satirize overpriced gadgets, 'grifter' culture, or the irony of using globalist manufacturing to promote hyper-nationalistic ideals. It remains a popular template for highlighting the massive gap between marketing hype and reality in the tech world.