Punkt., the Swiss, design-led consumer technology company, launched the MP02 New Generation last winter in black, adding to the original MP02 multi-band capacity for coverage worldwide. Software and hardware changes brought subtle improvements, including a snappier response to user input. Changes to the weight and volume of the packaging have reduced the transportation CO2 footprint by 40%; switching to selling the charging unit separately means less e-waste. A light blue option is now complementing the new generation black MP02.
‘The blue contrasts the formality of the black version with a more relaxed off duty look’, says Jasper Morrison, art director and designer of Punkt. product.
The Punkt. MP02 mobile phone, first launched in 2018, is designed to help ensure our tech works for us, not the other way around. It is a phone to keep, not replace. It does not pester its owner for attention or access to an electricity supply. Privacy is built in from the ground up. And as a voicephone, it shifts emphasis to spoken communication: often more efficient, and always more personal.
The MP02 can be used as a second phone as a way to get some ‘digital downtime’ – everything else is left behind for a while. Alternatively, many MP02 owners use it as their sole phone and combine it with a mini-tablet as required, via the MP02’s hotspot. Having that larger screen is a major upgrade over any smartphone, and a tablet does not have the same ‘pester power’.
The MP02 offers an alternative to mass-produced, old-tech handsets. It’s not just a thin-as-possible pixel platform; it’s a solid, comfortable piece of equipment that is easy to pick up, feels great in the hand, and is never, ever going to bend. Its sleek elegance is matched by top-quality materials, producing a phone that provides a concrete reminder of why the physical world is the world that matters even before it is switched on.
Following on from the MP02’s success with both reviewers and consumers, Punkt. is releasing a new colour option: Light Blue. Still low-key, but even more calming.
To mark the launch of the light blue colourway Punkt. has also introduced two new phone cases for the MP02 to its range. Both are Swiss-made for Punkt. with responsibly sourced materials. The VICUS phone case is made from genuine Italian vegetable-tanned leather and handmade in Ticino using traditional leather-working techniques. The QWSTION phone case is made in Zurich from Bananatex®, a fabric notable for the fact that it comes from the banana tree. The water-resistant coating is natural wax, and the entire product is plastic-free and biodegradable. Watch out for our review soon.
Find out more about Punkt.’s new eco-conscious phone cases here.