Hacker News Reader

Comment by kpmcc | Hacker News Reader

Nothing compares to the Punkt MP01 and MP02 IMO. I've had the MP01 for years and it's fantastic, the only issue has been with service and I imagine that would be resolved with the MP02 and 4g. https://www.punkt.ch/en/products/mp02-4g-mobile-phone/

There's also the Lightphone and forthcoming Lightphone II.

That being said, these won't really address privacy concerns per se. They don't support signal or other encrypted messaging (the lightphone II may in the future???). So the only way they would be more 'private' would be due to the fact that you'll use your phone for less and in so doing, share less data. Your texts and calls will still be pretty visible if that's a concern.

View on HN

I also have a Punkt MP01 - It feels like a breath of fresh air to use this and to have a phone for simply what a phone does, calls and text messages.

I've since purchased a portable music player, a separate camera and an old fashioned A-Z map for my local area. If you can't see why I might want to do this rather than have a small smartphone that does it all then you haven't realised how much of a problem these devices can be for some people like myself who find themselves unable to control their own willpower.

What I find now is that I have a device specifically for the intention that I want to use it for. I want to read? I pick up a book, I'm not distracted and my attention span has increased. I want to listen to music? I go to HDTracks and buy a super high quality version of the album and listen intently. Want to take pictures? Really actually take pictures that you'll use and value rather than a phone full of photos that will likely never get viewed again.

Punkt's philosophy is similar and I really really respect them as a company taking this line because it's very niche but I feel it's very necessary in today's world. Love that company <3

What do you do for commutes? I find that it's impossible to read anything physical in crowded trains and the only way to not be bored out of my mind for those 45 minutes is to listen to music or a podcast or read something on the phone

I really like the idea of doing things intently, but I'm not sure how to manage these practical things

I can use my portable music player to listen to music on the go, or my Kobo e-reader to read a book. I am fortunate enough that I actually work entirely from an office in my garden so commuting is something I just don't have to do anymore. In any case, when I go to London or a nearby city, it's quite fun to see if I can get around without maps. I find myself asking people where I might find somewhere and get to make some real human contact. I bet you could do it, it sounds really scary at first, but what I did realise when I had the MP01 and was on trains is how funny it is to see everyone mindlessly thumbing their pieces of glass. It's really easy to slowly become a self righteous prick though and think you're better than everyone else because you don't use a smartphone anymore. You'll be as annoying as someone who does crossfit and who vapes and wants to tell the world about their new flavour so make sure to keep that in check :')

I have a Kaossilator 2S for commutes and long train journeys. It's a great little musical instrument, so it's fun and creative. The only downside is the relatively short battery life.

That looks really novel! I love stuff like this. Being a bit creative and having fun with it rather than reading the next doom and gloom news story!

Uggh, 330e for a candybar phone. Oh right it has designer ringtones and it's monochrome icons have been drawn millimeter perfect. Let's be serious, one of the major feature people (or maybe let's say me) want when switching to a dumbphone is a "no bullshit" design. Low-tech means to seek to be standard, have normal screws, basic modem, widespread battery, default form factor, nothing fancy. The fact they put so much into branding and marketing says a lot about how superficial this "focus on your real task" is. I don't want a tool i will like, i want a tool i can use.

I personally use a double-sim 2G nokia 216 i got for ~50e. Has a flashlight, can hold some music, has radio, low-def photo, timers. edge is painfully slow and no hotspot ability so i actually disconnect from internet when i'm not in some kind of office: no email, no chat, concise sms, i'm forced to call people and i'm rediscovering how talking actually works well for efficient communication.

I have a lightphone I, it is not really a phone. Aside from having a unreadable screen & keypad when in daylight, it is less functional than mobiles in 1996 were. No contacts, no messages, just a phone and a poor one at that. A bit too dumb if you ask me :P

The MP02 looks like it has a lot of software issues at the moment. Take a read of the threads at https://www.reddit.com/r/Punkt/.

That looks absolutely perfect! The MP02 seems to be retailing at $350, which isn't awesome, but on the other hand it sure is nice to see a simple phone that has received some serious design attention.

I justified it to myself by knowing that I'd be saving like $30-40 a month by not paying for data. Idk where you're located, but there's a provider called Ting: https://ting.com/ that charges you by usage, so my bill is like $20 a month.

I really want to get the MP02 but the reviews on /r/punkt are all pretty damning.

And it runs Android. What a bummer. Otherwise this phone looks perfect

Ah, I didn't know they did that for the 02, pretty sure the 01 ran some custom non-android OS.

It runs Android AOSP - the open source version of Android without Google services.

Punkt patched many critical bugs in the month after initial release of the MP02 in December. https://www.punkt.ch/en/inspiration/news/s/mp02-software-upd...

What is the problem with running Android here?

Google controlling your phone. Google owning your private data.

Check this thread out that explains Google really has no control over the device: https://twitter.com/punkt/status/1103276818340212737

Just an aside, but that’s a concerningly long thread. Responses like these are kind of important enough that they shouldn’t be easily lost or hardly seen (especially since it’s a reply to someone). Case in point: the way I found this thread since you linked to it, but I could be wrong and it might’ve been said somewhere in their website

Android and 'no Google controlled device' sounds like sci-fi.

I agree this is a bit disappointing. It basically makes this phone a smart phone that is just pretending to be a dumb phone, with negative implications for battery life, stability, and security (larger attack surface).

The hotspot on the 02 is really interesting to me. I tried the dumb phone thing a couple of years ago, but as somebody who works remote not having my hotspot was a killer.

This is really interesting...

I have my eye on the MP02. Waiting until they get certified for VoLTE in the USA, otherwise it will drop to 3g for making calls. 3g coverage is limited in many metro areas of the USA as carriers move to 4g/5g.

> MP02

I love the look of that phone, except for the huge logo on the front. I wonder if there is a way to strip that off without damaging the plastic.

There's always a sharpie or black tape.

I stripped the logo off the front of my LG monitor with some acetone, and it only damaged the plastic a little bit...

Reply on news.ycombinator.com