Dumbphones are in right now. They’re exactly what they sound like: phones that are the antithesis of smartphones.
Aside from taking and making calls on phones (duh), they have a few other tools that make them just as much of an electronic Swiss Army knife, such as basic text messaging and tools like a calculator, notes, a clock, an alarm, and perhaps a camera. There are just no web browsers or social media apps to suck up all your free time.
For a while, having a dumbphone meant tracking down an old, used phone or springing for one of the dwindling selection of flip phones on the market. Punkt’s MC02 is one of a new generation of dumbphones that let you keep the high-tech elements of smartphones and just cut out the addictive parts.
a touchscreen dumbphone
The MC02 is Punkt’s touchscreen alternative to the all-button MP02. You pay an extra $200 for the privilege—$500 instead of $300. Its 6.7” touchscreen features a 1080 x 2400 resolution and 60Hz refresh rate, with 128GB of internal storage and 6GB of RAM. The rear-facing, 64-megapixel camera has a 4x digital zoom.
The MC02s two cameras are surprisingly good… for a dumbphone. Its rear-facing camera boasts 64 megapixels, and its front-facing selfie camera 24 megapixels. That even beats my favorite dumbphone, the Light Phone III, which manages “just” 50 and 8 megapixels, respectively.
The Punkt MC02 can shoot 4K video at 30 frames per second or 1080p video at 60 frames per second through the rear-facing camera, too. Not bad, Punkt.
Like any good dumbphone, the familiar color touchscreen and swiping gestures belie the fact that the MC02 is cut off from unfettered app store access. Create notes and check mail all you want; the boogymen social media apps are not welcome on the MC02.
Check out our guide to the Best Dumbphones for more picks, including Punkt’s also excellent, all-button MP02.
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