If you’ve ever looked into trading in your smartphone for a dumbphone, you might have stumbled across Punkt. The German-based company’s MP01 and MP02 phone were purposely not “smart;” rather, they were minimalist slabs of plastic, sporting a tiny display and an array of large, physical buttons. The point of owning one of these Punkt devices isn’t to sit scrolling on your smartphone for hours on end; it’s to use your phone when you need to—privately, at that.
The MC03 looks like any other smartphone at first
The company’s MC0 line flips the script a bit, and that doesn’t change with the latest: MC03. While there’s still a focus on privacy and minimalism, this newest device is virtually indistinguishable from other Android smartphones on the market—at least, in outward appearance. Gone are the physical buttons and tiny display; now, you have a large 120Hz OLED display, complete with a selfie camera at the top. Flip the MC03 around, and you’ll find a set of four rear cameras, corralled in the top-left corner of the back. Aside from the large “Punkt” logo in the bottom right, this really could be any other phone.
What separates the MC03 from phones from Samsung or Motorola is what’s on the inside, including, namely, the OS. When you open the phone, you aren’t greeted by a grid of app icons and widgets. Instead, you see a list of app and function names, without icons or colors. This is just about as simple an interface as you can expect from a device with a modern smartphone display, which may appeal to those who are looking for a minimalist experience.
That’s because the MC03 isn’t running Android. Like previous Punkt phones, this device runs AphyOS, an operating system built by Apostrophe. This custom OS is advertised as a privacy-focused operating system, something Punkt runs with for the MC03. According to the company, AphysOS can block tracking and profiling tools, and keeps out bloatware, hidden apps, and background services. The OS can also reportedly fight against spying with “hardened code” to block attacks.
The company says this new phone separates data and functions in two key “repositories:” First, there’s the “Vault,” which includes Punkt-approved apps and that minimalist UI. Proton is a trusted company here, so you can expect to find Proton Mail, Proton Calendar, Proton Drive, Proton VPN, and Proton Pass in the Vault. Second, there’s “Wild Web,” which lets you install any app you want, against a strict system of safeguards and privacy settings. You can choose to download apps from either Punkt’s privacy-focused app store, featuring programs approved by both AphyOS and Punkt, as well as a store with “widely available apps.”
What do you think so far?
In addition to that display, Punkt says the device comes with other hardware perks, like a 5,200mAh removable battery—a rarity with modern smartphone—IP68 water and dust resistance, and a 64MP camera.
Privacy isn’t free on the MC03
All those features come at a recurring cost, however. After one year, you’ll need to pay for AphyOS, which charges $10 per month. You can also choose to subscribe for three years for $129 ($5.38 per month), or five years for $199 ($4.15 per month). The phone itself costs $699, which is relatively expensive for a phone of this caliber, so whether or not the privacy and minimalism perks are worth the price will really come down to the individual customer. (I’m a huge privacy advocate, but the MC03 would definitely need to impress me before I commit to a subscription model for its OS.) If you don’t want a new phone, there are hacks to dumb down your existing device into something more minimal—and, of course, there are steps you can take to protect your privacy on any device.
The MC03 isn’t available yet. Punkt announced the new phone ahead of CES next week, and says the new device will launch in North America this spring. Pre-orders are currently available in Europe.