Smartphones are brilliant, and they’re getting cheaper all the time. For £150, you can pick up a Moto G smartphone that has a beautiful screen, a great camera and all of the apps and features you could ask for. But you might instead opt for the £229 Punkt MP 01 – a phone with a tiny black-and-white display, no camera, and absolutely no apps.
Instead, you get just the basics: calls, texts, calendar, contacts and notes. That limited feature set allows it to attain outstanding battery life; between one and three weeks. The one nod to modernity is that it can twin to your SIM card, allowing it to use the same number as your smartphone so you can switch easily between the two.
The MP 01 is a reaction to the always on lifestyle that’s come to dominate in the age of smartphones, tablets and wearable technology. Where other new gadgets seek to keep you connected and up-to-date, the MP 01 is designed specifically to let you tune out, let you be free of these distractions. If you need to make a phone call, you won’t be sucked into a black hole of notifications or funny tweets.
The Punkt phone is much more beautiful than you’d expect from a back-to-basics smartphone too, with a charcoal grey exterior and gradually sloped back shell. It fits naturally in your hand, and the large circular buttons feel tactile and responsive. Of course, you’d expect this kind of quality for the £229 price point, but it’s still nice to see.
The Punkt MP 01 is coming soon to the UK, where it’s expected just before Christmas. You can pre-order it at Punkt’s website. I imagine that we’ll support the phone with cases and accessories if it takes off, too.
What do you think of the MP 01? Is there a future for premium dumb phones? Let us know in the comments below, which of course work with your PC, tablet or phone… but not your Punkt phone.