As we proceed to evolve the cellular computing market, we additionally unfold our private data to increasingly more accessible avenues. Whether or not it’s Google, Amazon, Apple, or any of the opposite main tech gamers, our information is the forex we commerce for many providers. Punkt has come to the market with units just like the MP02 telephone to problem this paradigm.
The Motion
It’s uncommon {that a} new system comes our means that utterly perplexes me. The Punkt is an element throwback and half unplugged 4G, if that is smart. The totally 4G-connected system is consciously restricted to only messaging, fundamental calendars, and telephone calls. It’s an fascinating motion that Punkt sees customers that need to take a step again from the linked net.
The thought is that you just shift your every day interactions to very targeted and deliberate conversations. This implies you’ve gotten your shut circle of family and friends that textual content or name you frequently and all different noise makers are on the surface trying in.
Punkt sees the MP02 as your main communication system that may be augmented by different units like a laptop computer or pill. You solely keep persistently plugged into the first discussions through messages and telephone calls, however you possibly can nonetheless name on the 4G connection to entry the broader net when wanted on the secondary items.
To make the most of this imaginative and prescient the Punkt MP02 is operating a BlackBerry-hardened model of Android — Android 8.1 to be actual with the proprietary Apostrophy OS discovered on the system. The performance could be very safety targeted and also you received’t discover any of your favourite apps right here.
Design
The Punkt is constructed of glass-fiber bolstered plastic with an angled nearly wedged design. The telephone isn’t a lot bigger than a Roku distant however has an incredible really feel within the hand. The steadiness is one thing you possibly can inform Punkt’s lead designer Jasper Morrison actually targeted on getting proper.
Nearly all of the entrance of the MP02 are the keys, one other throwback. Not solely are tactile keys current, but it surely’s additionally all simply numerical keys in need of devoted navigation buttons on the left facet. That’s proper you, don’t get a QWERTY keyboard. Simply 0-9 child!
Atop the keyboard is a 2-inch black and white display screen. The tech is a transflective LCD that jogs my memory of an e-ink. It’s simple on the eyes and will take minimal battery life. The display screen appears tiny in in the present day’s market, however once more, it’s about targeted communication solely so it really works.
There are two audio system on the Punkt MP02. There’s a devoted earphone grille on the prime for taking conventional calls and a bigger speakerphone array on the again of the telephone. Each are sufficient for what you’d anticipate for the respective utilization circumstances.
Lastly, on the backside of the MP02 is a single USB-C charging port. That is one other reminder that whereas that is considerably of a throwback, Punkt contains very up to date expertise. Having this over a proprietary or older port to save cash is a big plus to only utilizing any USB-C commonplace charging cable when wanted.
Each day utilization
That is the place I actually struggled with the Punkt MP02. There’s something releasing about not having your regular smartphone tropes and having linked apps continuously pinging you throughout the day. With the ability to unplug and strip the expertise down for simply communication is refreshing. Having solely entry to calls, texts, and calendars is a singular take again to probably a greater time in cellular.
Calls and textual content work as anticipated as effectively. I noticed zero points utilizing conventional textual content messages and telephone calls whereas utilizing the Punkt MP02. Decide your contact after which textual content away or make a fast name very like you’d on every other system… with a number of caveats we’ll cowl in a number of seconds.
The Pigeon platform is constructed off the prevailing Sign protocol and is a good, hardened approach to hold on-device communications encrypted. It additionally signifies that the Punk MP02 leverages the WiFi and LTE connections to make these calls and texts.
This sounds nice, but it surely comes with hiccups. For one, the Pigeon can carry out regular SMS, however you can’t make the most of group chats with out the opposite individuals utilizing Sign. No MMS-style group chats can be found with out particular person responses to every contact.
The identical is true for WiFi calling. You may’t full calls outdoors the mobile connection until the opposite consumer is on Sign. I actually want the corporate would allow this as it will make my subsequent grievance rather less of a problem.
The telephone doesn’t assist the 71 megahertz band or Verizon right here in America. This can be a fairly massive blow to 2 of the three main carriers within the States. The 71 band is T-Cell’s major band to make use of in rural areas, and I discovered that the MP02 merely doesn’t acknowledge any Verizon SIM. Conventional WiFi calling would go a great distance to assist people who may mitigate this whereas on a house or workplace community.
In any other case, I’ve three extra knocks to the Punkt MP02 generally use. One, the interface isn’t nice. It’s nearly too minimalistic and never very intuitive to me. As an example, there’s no simple approach to manipulate the quantity. Most actions additionally take a number of clicks of the up and down arrows to perform. Answering a textual content takes three clicks: down, click on, click on. Even the “shortcuts” button for messages and contacts solely works from the principle dwelling display screen.
Subsequent, you possibly can’t sync contacts with out manually downloading CSV recordsdata to the system. I do know this can be a sample of the safety focus, and a acutely aware selection, but it surely simply looks like a miss for me. Trendy smartphone syncing makes this really easy and I’d guess many youthful customers have by no means achieved this through CSV on any system.
And that brings me to the final gripe. I feel this telephone is likely to be a non-starter for anybody underneath 30 years of age. Lots of the interactions discovered on the Punkt MP02 are closely influenced by units that have been now not accessible after say the 2010s. By this level in cellular historical past, you had certainly one of three units: nonetheless holding a BlackBerry otherwise you’d adopted both Android of iOS.
Selecting up the Punkt is sort of a time capsule in a means. T9 actions for texting are a totally international idea. Downloading a bodily file to add your contacts is as effectively. It’s nearly a contradiction in a means as I do suppose the present era would have an interest within the Punkt ethos.
The youthful tech customers have gotten increasingly more conscious of the digital information they sacrifice and looking for new methods to bypass these hooks to massive techs like Google and Apple. Nonetheless, I feel the training curve to utilizing the MP02 could also be an excessive amount of of a hurdle over choices like de-Googled alternate options like Copperhead or CalyxOS. These customized ROMs provide some comparable safety measures with out sacrificing the {hardware} or app shops they anticipate to have on trendy telephones.
Battery life
With the slimmed-down OS onboard the Punkt, it’s no shock battery life has been nice. I used to be in a position to simply get a number of days out of normal utilization. Standby ought to final at the least every week. If you’re solely inserting the occasional sub-thirty minute name and texting I may simply see you getting a 3-4 day endurance time on the MP02.
Conclusion
Once more, I’m torn on the Punkt MP02. It’s at all times refreshing to see an organization take the thought of merging nice design right into a safe communication system. We expend our information in quite a few methods on-line and taking again that to an extent might be compelling. Re-establish extra one-to-one communication with our family members can also be a noble providing. I simply don’t know if that is value it for the lots although.
I personally discovered that I felt too handicapped by the MP02 to make use of it as my every day driver. And possibly that’s the steadiness. I may see a world the place customers may have this as a secondary telephone for vacationing or date nights. You may simplify your interactions by throwing your SIM within the Punkt and know that solely really necessary contacts can get in contact.
At $379 it nonetheless is likely to be a tough promote, however I hope the corporate continues its path. Punkt has teased some extra versatile telephones that will provide a extra full various to conventional smartphones. I’m inspired by that thought and sit up for what Punkt releases subsequent.
If you’re within the Punkt MP02 you should buy the telephone direct from the corporate’s storefront beneath. It’s accessible in each Black or Mild Blue variants.
As an Amazon Affiliate we earn from qualifying purchases.
