Punkt. MC02 Smartphone - Unlocked Cell Phone with Built-in VPN for Digital Security & Data Privacy Software, 4K Video & 64 MP Camera, 5G & 4G LTE, 128GB, WiFi, Bluetooth - Black

If you want phone that is really privacy focused and doesn't have the latest and greatest hardware this is for you. Or if you are at tech person and want to tinker with it. Wont compare to iPhone, most Samsung, or Pixel phones in terms of hardware (camera, videos,etc).Very privacy focused. The Punkt MC02 runs on an operating system called Apostrophy. It’s based on Graphene OS, another privacy-conscious operating software. Apostrophy builds upon the foundation of Graphene OS and adds its own secure apps to the phone, such as contacts, storage, email, files, tasks, and more. It also offers a Digital Nomad VPN app to protect browsing data.The data from all the Apostrophy apps is stored in servers located in Switzerland, no matter where you use the phone. The EU is famous for its strict data protection laws, and that’s why the company insists on banking data on Swiss servers. Monthly subscription after the first year (to keep the privacy features/VPN). So it will be cell phone bill plus the subscription.No eSIM capability.The Google Store/apps are not installed by default. You can install if you want (use the GMS wizard on the phone). Some folks will say having Google Store/apps will risk your privacy.Check out Punkt's website if you want more details. There are also other tech sites that have reviewed the phone (Google for 'Punkt. MC02 reviews')

I really wanted to give this phone a good rating when I ordered it - I am very privacy-conscious and the idea behind this phone intrigued me. However a few things prevent me from outright recommending this phone.The best summary I can give of the issues with this phone are - it's too expensive for the features it provides. It runs on a MediaTek Dimensity 900 chipset, which first showed up in Androids back in 2022, and those phones were priced around $300 at the time. This phone isn't slow, but it's not as fast as a $700 phone should be.I could overlook that if the privacy features were really well-executed, but they're not. In order to use most of the privacy features that this device advertises, you'll need to sign up for an Apostrophy services account. This phone includes a "1 year free trial", which allows you access to the "built-in VPN" on this device, as well as a personal mailbox, ending with @aphy.io. After the year free trial is up, this service costs a whopping 15 CHF ($16.50 USD at time of writing) per month!! That's a hard sell, when it hasn't been made clear why this VPN service is any better than the thousands of cheaper VPN providers on the market. I'll also mention that their VPN offers a very paltry three endpoints to choose from, the US, Germany, and Japan.As for the webmail, I don't really want to migrate everything tied to my email over to a service that is new, untested, and expensive. At the end of the day, you're just choosing who to place your trust in, with regards to your data security, and as far as I know, Apostrophy services hasn't been independently audited like a lot of VPN providers have, their webmail portal is just a reskin of an open source webmail app called Roundcube, and they haven't really given me any reasons to trust them over "Big Tech" companies.The idea for this phone may be well-intentioned, but I just wouldn't recommend it as it is today.

This Punkt. phone is a refreshing change from the usual smartphone. It's designed with privacy and security in mind, with built-in VPN and data privacy software. The 4K video and 64 MP camera are impressive, and the phone feels solid and well-made. The minimalist interface takes some getting used to, but it's a welcome break from the constant notifications and distractions of other smartphones.

This phone is amazing you can use with any carrier has 128GB of space available for photos videos or applications in general also has a blocked vpn for privacy and security not to mention top tier 4K camera feautures with this sleek design and out standing performance phone and superb connectivity and stunning battery life that last for hours definately a phone worth considering over your everyday basic phones definately worth the purchase highly recommend.

There's a lot to like about this phone. It is very security forward and takes your privacy very seriously. There is a 3.5mm headphone jack, something we don't see in phones these days. There's a MicroSD card slot, also missing from present day phones. The android build (Apostrophy OS) included with the phone is very secure, highly customizable and feature rich. The built-in VPN is very nice and works well blocking ads. The screen is sharp, but it's IPS and not OLED so it's not as nice looking as the Samsung phones. The side fingerprint reader is quick and works 99% of the time. Much better than those behind the screen readers. The bottom line is, if you are looking for the latest and greatest, super fast and super sharp camera, then this phone is not for you. But if you are concerned about your privacy and would like to stay more anonymous with your digital life, this phone is definitely for you.

Trying to figure out this phone was fun.Will it compete with my iPhone, no. Will it compete with a Samsung, no. But will it appear as a dumb phone that can be used in the following circumstances.1) You wanna watch adult websites but dont want your significant other seeing your browsing history - check2) You want to install Ledger or Trezor or have your crypto balances hidden cause your friends etc will have no idea if this is a phone or a wifi router - check3) You want to have a fun friend and you dont want your partner going through your phone - check.This doesnt feel like a phone, it feels more like a micro ipad that your company gave you to check work emails.As a phone will I use it? No, but as one of the options above, sure, bring it on.