Punkt MP02 voice phone is a corporation with a big picture in mind. It believes that use your smartphone excessively, and it is correct – you do. This phone is designed to remove all of the distracting features of modern smartphones, allowing you to focus on your work, life, and well-being.
The Punkt MP01 was a high-end 2G phone that severed the chord and forced you to use a phone that had no more technical capabilities than a £10 Nokia from Argos. The MP02 copies the look but upgrades it to a 4G phone — it’s not a smartphone, though.
The Punkt MP02 is a great idea and Absolutely agree with it. The phone can make and receive calls, but it cannot access the internet or download apps. The 4G capability is solely for tethering, which allows you to connect your tablet or laptop to the internet whenever you need it, eliminating the need to check attention- and mood-sapping smartphone apps.
In theory, it’s a great idea that a lot of people would like. It’s just a shame that the costly product’s potential is tainted by a slew of software and firmware flaws that make it frustratingly constrained rather than liberating.
What you will see here!
Price and availability
The Punkt MP02 voice phone costs £279.00/$379.00 unlocked from Punkt, but it was out of stock at the time of writing. You can order it now for delivery in mid-July.’ When it first went on sale in October, the first batch was completely sold out.
You can have any color as long as it’s black, and you can choose between an American, European, United Kingdom, Australian, or Japanese plug. The majority of Europe, Australia, and Japan are covered by network compatibility, however, the United States remains underserved. The company is working on compatibility with AT&T and T-Mobile but does not expect it to work with Verizon.
The phone isn’t the only one on the market. It can make calls and send texts, but its only 4G feature is as a hotspot; the Nokia 8110 4G, which costs £147.99, also has this feature.
Design- Simple slab
The positives come before the downsides. Apart from the Punkt MP02’s basic message, its hardware design is the most appealing feature. Consider pop art’s whimsy, but designed by a brutalist architect who exclusively works in black and white. It’s a spartan slab with a soothing weight to it.
Buttons
The large, straightforward buttons indicate that you’ll have to relearn T9 texting, which is found to be even more difficult. Some people still prefer BlackBerry’s physical QWERTY keyboard, but no one can deny that T9 is a good way to type.
Circular buttons are uncommon on modern phones, but they appear bold and confident to this writer, and they’re just the right amount of clicky. Obviously, there isn’t a camera present. But there’s a rationale for this design choice: this is, after all, a phone.
The Punkt MP02 is intended to encourage you to phone people instead of awkwardly T9 texting them. It stems from the company’s belief that if you pick up the phone and are unable to waste time in attention-grabbing, non-productive apps, you will get more done at work and say more in life.
Beautifully textured
The phone’s polycarbonate is beautifully textured, and the wedge design includes a rubber piece on the back. This isn’t by chance, as there’s a loudspeaker on the back at the top. For loudspeaker calls, placing the phone down creates an echo off a flat surface. When using a product, it’s sometimes the little things that make you smile, and the MP02’s simplicity and thoughtful features. The power button is on the top, and charging is done by USB-C.
Putting the enjoyment back into function
The Punkt voice phone is based on open-source Android, despite the black and white interface and lack of apps that would lead you to believe otherwise. This is a menu-driven operating system that softly questions, “Why are you on your phone, mate?”
Things got off to a good start. Of course, had to fight the impulse to take my phone out of my pocket and idly scroll through things until realized it could only call or text.
The call quality is amazing and Really enjoyed the device. This was carrying its primary goal at the time: getting us all to converse a little and stop scrolling over endless timelines.
My laptop linked to the phone first time when set up as a hotspot when trying the tethering function, however getting it to work at all is a pain owing to the lack of a touchscreen and a strange Numpad. Also struggled to figure out how to type a password into the Wi-Fi settings using T9 predictive text without a manual.
There is a calendar feature, but it is not cloud-synchronized. It’s just a simple calendar with the months and days of the week.
You must also learn minor skills such as pushing power and then entering to unlock. It’s a phone that makes you want to appreciate its design while simultaneously making you not want to use it very much, which is at odds with its premium price.
Making Calls, Loudly
All of the major carriers plan to phase out their 2G and 3G networks in the coming years, so a voice phone that works on 4G with voice over LTE, a system that will last a decade, is essential. When I last looked at the Punkt MP02 voice phone, it only supported AT&T 4G calls. It also works on T-Mobile and US Mobile’s T-Mobile network. However, it does not operate on Verizon; three separate Verizon SIMs were unable to connect at all.
The phone has AT&T and numerous T-Mobile frequency bands 1/2/4/5/7/12/17, although it lacks band 71, which T-Mobile utilises for certain rural services. As long as you don’t use band 71, the network signal strength is comparable to the other voice phones. Although Wi-Fi calling isn’t supported, you can connect to Wi-Fi and use Pigeon to call other Signal users.
The call quality and volume are excellent. With a maximum volume of 96dB, the Punkt MP02 had the second-loudest earpiece of a group of voice phones. The sound is intelligible and undistorted, yet it has a hollow quality to it. At six inches, the speaker produced 84dB, which was quieter than some other phones but still acceptable. All of the 17 ringtones supplied are high-pitched beeps and chips.
Although there isn’t a 3.5mm connector, Bluetooth headsets function perfectly. A single-ear wired headset and a charger are included in the box, both of which plug into the bottom USB-C port. It didn’t function with any other USB-C charger or corded headset, which is inconvenient but not fatal.
Messaging, Safely
Voice phones and texting have an uneasy connection now that messaging apps have taken over the world. When it comes to group communications, though, they usually fall apart. This phone is no different: it can receive group SMS but can only respond to the individual sender of each text.
The Nokia 6300 and the Nuu F4L, for example, tackle this problem by including Facebook and WhatsApp apps. Because of Facebook’s data collection practices, digital disconnectors and the security-conscious despise these apps. As a result, Pigeon, MP02’s Signal client, takes a different approach. The signal is an open-source, end-to-end encrypted messaging app that supports text, photo, and audio chatting.
Pigeon is a standalone text messaging program that makes use of the phone’s basic contact books. It, like the rest of the Punkt MP02’s programs, has a difficult-to-use text-only interface. To properly comprehend the program, you’ll need to read a 22-page manual, but once you do, it’s pretty good.
Messages sent from the Punkt MP02 were promptly received on other phones, while incoming messages could take up to 10 minutes to arrive. This could be due to battery optimizations, which limit the number of times the MP02 pings the Signal server. Punkt claims it’s working on ways to cut down on lag.
Lighter Than Light
Voice phones with lower prices, such as the Nokia 225 and Nokia 6300, can’t compete with the MP02. The Light Phone II, is its closest competition in terms of arty digital-disconnector phones. The Light Phone II sports a touch screen and side volume buttons, making texting easier with an on-screen keyboard. However, it has a weird squarish shape, is quieter, and the connection didn’t work effectively.
If security is your primary concern, the Sunbeam F1 is also worth considering because of its extreme simplicity and Sunbeam’s commitment to data protection.
The Punkt MP02 is a stylish gadget that offers a straightforward voice experience on AT&T and T-Mobile, as well as surprisingly secure (if occasionally slow) messaging. The Punkt MP02 satisfies the desire for modern technology with a retro aesthetic thanks to its mid-century design and physical buttons. It’s a smart way to force oneself to unplug.
Is Punkt MP02 worth it?
The Punkt MP02 is a stylish gadget that offers a straightforward voice experience on AT&T and T-Mobile, as well as surprisingly secure messaging. The Punkt MP02 satisfies the desire for modern technology with a retro aesthetic thanks to its mid-century design and physical buttons.
Is the Punkt MP02 safe to use?
Furthermore, despite the fact that there are no Apps on the phone itself, security is still a major concern, hence the Punkt. The Blackberry Secure software is only available on the MP02, which is a non-Blackberry phone. This ensures the confidentiality of text messages and voice calls using high-grade encryption.
Is the Punkt phone usable in the United States?
On the other side, the Punkt MP 02 is one of the few unlocked LTE voice phones available. It supports US network bands, unlike the Nokia 8810, and the business is actively seeking to market it in the United States. The phone will mostly work with AT&T and T-Mobile, though it may also operate with Verizon.
Conclusion
The Punkt MP02 is what happens when a corporation has a great idea but fails to put it into action. Because of its physical capabilities, the phone appears as if it belongs in a Design Museum, but it is completely let down by the software which makes it frustratingly different from what is described.
Simple tasks become hassles, many features just do not work, and the battery life bug means you should avoid Punkt unless the promised fixes are delivered.
Definitely could suggest the phone if Punkt fixes all of the bugs. However, despite its enticing goal of making us all spend less time on our smartphones and more time conversing, this is not a device you should buy right now.
