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Why I Stopped Using My Punkt MP02
· Vlog

Why I Stopped Using My Punkt MP02

I loved my Punkt MP02 but real problems made me walk away from it. Here is what happened.

I loved my Punkt MP02 but real problems made me walk away from it. Here is what happened.

I was one of the first users of the Punkt MP02. When this phone came to the market, I was genuinely happy to find something like it in these modern times. I didn't really have a problem with the price tag, even though that was the most objectionable thing people liked to point out. The design, the materials, the feel of it in your hand - it looked and felt like a premium phone, and I thought the price was justified.

And yet, I have stopped using it. I stopped using it, started searching for other alternatives, came back several times to a dumbed-down iPhone, went back to the Punkt because I was not happy with the iPhone, and then eventually had to accept that the Punkt just wasn't working for me anymore. Let me explain the three reasons why.

The first reason is related to something I care deeply about - my health.

The Audio Problem Nobody Talks About

There is a big problem with the USB-C audio output on the Punkt MP02. The phone uses an analog USB-C output, which is something extremely rare these days. Most USB-C outputs on phones and other electronic devices are digital outputs. When you plug in a pair of USB-C headphones or speakers, those accessories have a DAC inside - a digital-to-analog converter - that translates the digital audio signal into an analog one so you can actually hear it.

The Punkt does the opposite. It expects you to plug in a USB-C accessory that has an analog input and is waiting for an analog signal coming through the plug. This means that the dongle provided by Punkt works, and maybe one or two other dongles in the entire world work with this phone. The rest does not. You can buy the best, most well-reviewed USB-C audio adapter on Amazon, and you can be sure it will not work with the Punkt MP02.

Now, you could say "just use Bluetooth headphones," but no. I don't want to irradiate my head with Bluetooth while I'm talking on the phone. I want to use my wired headphones because they sound better and because they are safer for me. And even if I was not worried about my health, using Bluetooth would drastically impair the already poor battery life of this phone. The Punkt MP02 has an awful battery life for such a small and simple device. In my opinion, it should last at least a week on standby, but in reality it lasts about two, maybe three days. So Bluetooth is not a good solution either way.

Screens That Self-Destruct

The second reason is the screens. I have pointed this out several times already - the screens tend to break after about one year, maybe two years. And they break beyond repair. Lines of the screen stop working, then a part of the screen stops working, and finally you cannot use the menu because you don't see what you are choosing.

This brings me to something that makes the situation even worse. There are reports on Reddit suggesting that Punkt might be facing financial problems, maybe even bankruptcy. And looking at what has been happening with the company in recent years, I think there could be some truth to that. Now, I could say "well, it's a good phone, exchanging it every two years is fine for me." But the Punkt has become very, very hard to get.

There was a time you could buy the MP02 on Amazon. You cannot anymore. The only place I have found right now, besides maybe Dumbwireless in the United States, is the Punkt.ch website itself - the manufacturer's site. And there it's backordered. You have to pre-order, you don't know exactly when the phone will be shipped, and you're not even sure it will be shipped at all. If you have a phone that is so vulnerable to the screen failing and you don't have a reliable source of getting another one, why should you keep using it?

What I Would Love to See in a Punkt MP03

If they ever decide to make a Punkt MP03, I would love to see a headphone jack. A proper audio output to connect wired headphones to this phone without any adapter nonsense. I would also love to see the possibility to install an audiobook player or a podcast player. Maybe even giving people the opportunity to install some Android apps, though of course that comes with downsides related to how Google is surveilling those devices. So I honestly don't know if that's a good idea.

What I do know is that I really enjoyed my time with the Punkt MP02. I enjoyed the fact that my kids saw me using a phone that looked like a calculator. That matters. The things we model for our children matter. I would also love to see a flip phone - the kind you can close when you stop talking. That is something from the early 2000s I'm really nostalgic about.

The dumb phone movement is important. Resisting the urge to fill every moment with apps and notifications and all those modern technical distractions is a form of freedom. If Punkt can address these issues - the audio, the screen durability, the availability - they could still make something truly special. I hope they do. Because the world needs more tools that help us be present, not more screens that demand our attention.

Do Your Own Research

The topics covered in this article - particularly around RF radiation from Bluetooth devices and the benefits of wired audio - are supported by peer-reviewed scientific research. Here are some key studies and resources:

RF radiation and oxidative stress:

WHO classification of RF radiation:

Bluetooth devices and proximity exposure:

Scientists' petition on wireless device safety:

Wired vs. wireless headphones and exposure reduction:

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Hosted by

Jerzy Rajkow

Jerzy Rajkow

After 22 years running technology and operations at a top law firm, I'm exploring the global analog revival - why millions are returning to vinyl, film cameras, notebooks, and dumbphones. It's not nostalgia. It's resistance.

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