So, it's that time again i'm on the hunt for a new smartphone

been doing a lot of searching and comparing devices available to me

few days back i came across this device it has some pretty bold claims

mainly it focuses on security and privacy and put's you in control

meet Punkt MC02 << far as names goes i love the name PUNKT lol and MC lol is a happy coincidence i guess

(long thread incoming with more details about this)

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The Punkt MC02 has Android 13 (yes, in 2024) installed, but it strips away the interface you find on a Google Pixel 8, for example, and replaces it with AphyOS (based on GrapheneOS) and the Apostrophy Services.

aphy.io/

The website says AphyOS and the Apostrophy Services keep you safe and won’t share your personal data for use in ads while protecting your data, and the system stores it all under Swiss jurisdiction.

Apostrophy has been developed to connect people, not leverage them. A mobile software ecosystem designed in Switzerland, independent, and intentionally private.

Switzerland may provide some additional privacy benefits for data storage. Or it could also be clever marketing.

The phone also has a Virtual Private Network (VPN) called Digital Nomad, which I could use to connect to servers in Germany, Japan, and the U.S. from the U.K.

It’s yours for $749.

An ecosystem of safe and secure communications with data sovereignty at its core. Making data privacy accessible for all, as an alternative to advertising based models that monetise your personal information.

It also comes with Thunderbird app as your main email app pre-installed

Secure tools available
E-mail
Contacts
Calendar
Storage
Tasks

Carbon & Data Ledger
A world first: View and easily control the privacy risk level and environmental imprint for each individual apps.

punkt.ch/en/mc02-5g-secure-pho

now though it sounds good until you realise just how much you are paying buying the device isn't all you have to fork out it's a subscription based OS so you pay monthly/yearly for the privilege

punkt.ch/en/products/mc02-5g-s

it's a device i'd fork out for just found it interesting

you really only need to sign in to your google account if you want to add apps via google play store using their GMS wizard feature

GMS wizard
Walk through wizard in case you may want install apps from Google Play store*

* A valid Google account is necessary.

Once the Play Store is installed, you are able to live in a completely private Apostrophy environment, or a sandboxed Google environment with the apps you wish to install.

Meaning, your private data remains only between you, and the respective app - not accessed by any third parties.

that is a pretty cool feature

AphyOS strips Google out of Android, leaving you with the choice to make individual agreements with each software company you allow on your device.

Domus and Piazza

The Domus is the secure and private partition of the phone. This is where the Aphy-native apps live. What happens in the Domus, stays in the Domus.

The Piazza is the public area. This is where you can add the Google Play store, use all the Android apps exactly the way they would run on any other Android phone

but with one exception: your usage habits won't be shared and tracked between apps by default. You can also further dial-in more precise security on a per-app basis using The Ledger

Between the Domus and the Piazza, you get the best of both worlds on one device: a highly secure space (with a cool grayscale aesthetic) with the Domus, and an open, unrestricted area for everything else, the Piazza.

The Ledger - Carbon Reduction

It's one thing to care about the environment. It's another thing to take a super intangible idea, like app use on your phone, and figure out how that translates to your carbon footprint. AphyOS makes this easier with its Carbon and Data Ledger.

If you tap and hold any app, you will see a pop-up for Ledger. By launching this, Ledger shows you two dials: Data Privacy and Carbon Reduction. From an environmental standpoint, you can choose to dial up or down Carbon Reduction, which will affect background usage of the app (and, proportionately, battery life). A graph at the bottom of the Ledger shows the impact on battery.

main goal is battery life here lol

there is another ledger feature though

The Ledger - Data Privacy

The other part of the Ledger is the Data Privacy dial. On an app-by-app basis, you can review and easily change the privacy settings between you and any app whenever you want.

The range goes from basically no restrictions (lets the app do whatever it wants) to so many restrictions the app might not work. It gives you the ability to find that Goldilocks spot where the permissions to privacy is just right.

Security is always a tap away! By default, the three-button navigation bar on AphyOS is enabled. And the middlemost button is the Apostrophy logo. By tapping on this, you're instantly transported back to your private Domus.

This is small, but it speaks to the thought process behind ease of use and access to security. At any time, no matter what app you're in, or what you're doing, you can quickly navigate back to the most secure area on your phone (the Domus) with the tap of a button.

Ultimately, the MC02 isn't about cramming in all the apps. It's about reclaiming control over your digital life. So, can you install apps you really need.

The MC02's Apostrophy OS offers a unique approach: a dedicated app store vetted for privacy

i'd recommend reading more before buying and looking at this handy Q&A page

punkt.ch/en/support/frequently

@ecksmc
Looks good on paper, but this review finds it lacking in several key areas:

techradar.com/pro/phone-commun

The alternative phone mentioned in there looks quite good if you don't mind a bulkier design:

techradar.com/pro/doogee-v30-p

@voltronic yeah on paper

not a big fan of paying for subscription based OS myself

i have read mixed reviews about it also it's a love/hate device for sure

some say they couldn't even use it for a few days to some say they loved it lol

i did look at the Doogee V30 a few days ago

i guess it will be a device that could be interesting for certain groups - companies - orgs etc....over "mainstream consumers"

@voltronic @ecksmc

After finally releasing my death-grip on Blackberry last year, I went for the Gigaset GX6. While it's an android phone, it's still produced in the EU, and I've been happy with it so far. It's a tank, but does everything I want a phone to do, without the problematic excess.

@Rocker @voltronic

wow that device has a removable battery lol

and i like the two sim card slots as well as a third slot for SD-Card that's neat

usually you get two slots where you can input two sim cards or one sim card and SD-card

i like the three slots 👍

@ecksmc And a headphone jack 😁 Phones pretty much peaked in 2007 for me. 😆

@voltronic

@Rocker @voltronic

🤣 yeah headphone jack is a must for me also

don't mind bluetoothing my headset when indoors but when outside i plug-in a set

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