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ZDNET’s key takeaways
- The Punkt MC03 is a privacy-first handset that runs a verified listing of safe apps.
- It is powered by AphyOS, a subscription-based working system.
- Punkt is launching the telephone within the US this Spring for $699.
Sharing information with Google and Apple provides comfort, however usually at the price of privateness and safety. Third-party apps and on-line companies can additional enhance your threat. To handle these issues, Punkt has launched the MC03, a smartphone constructed particularly to maintain your information non-public and safe.
Powered by AphyOS, the MC03 is a mid-range machine paired with a subscription-based working system. It contains a hardened codebase designed to dam assaults and unauthorized entry, successfully limiting your on-line publicity.
The machine comes built-in with trusted, privacy-focused companies like Proton Mail, Calendar, Drive, and VPN. Customers can supply vetted purposes via the App Hub, whereas a secondary app retailer permits for broader entry — all beneath the person’s direct administration and management.
To additional optimize privateness, the MC03 consists of an built-in VPN, similar to Digital Nomad, to safe your web connection. AphyOS (by Apostrophy) is included free for the primary yr; after that, it requires a $9.99 month-to-month subscription, although bundle offers can be found.
The {hardware} is manufactured in Germany and contains a 120Hz OLED show, a 64MP essential digicam, and an IP68 ranking for mud and water resistance. Notably, it features a detachable 5,200mAh battery — a rarity in fashionable smartphones.
The MC03 is priced at $699 and is slated for a North American launch in Spring 2026. Having examined numerous “distraction-free” handsets, I look ahead to getting hands-on time with the MC03 at CES to see the way it balances a personal way of life with the purpose of lowering senseless social media scrolling. The most important query is whether or not or not it will be sufficient to tug me away from all of the extra issues a conventional smartphone can do.
