January 2, 2026
Privacy rent is due
Punkt. Unveils MC03 Smartphone
€699 ‘privacy’ phone with a monthly fee ignites a comment war
TLDR: Punkt’s MC03 is a €699 privacy-focused phone with Proton apps and a split “Vault vs Wild Web” setup. The community is split: critics rage at the monthly subscription and question the OS/VPN trust, while GrapheneOS fans call AphyOS a dated fork—raising bigger questions about paying for privacy and who to trust.
Punkt, the Swiss maker of minimalist phones, dropped the MC03 at CES: a Europe-built, design-forward smartphone with privacy-first features. It splits your world into Vault (trusted apps in a calm, locked-down space) and Wild Web (anything goes, but with visible controls). Proton’s email, calendar, drive, VPN, and password tools live inside Vault, and the phone touts hardened code, a secure chip, and a built-in VPN (a “virtual private network”) called Digital Nomad. Price? €699/$699 plus an OS subscription many read as €10/month. Punkt’s slogan—“pay to retain your data”—landed like a grenade, sparking memes about privacy rent and “paywalling your privacy.”
In the comments, wallets and pitchforks came out. One camp calls it a locked-down phone charging extra for freedom, while another shrugs: better than ad-tracking. GrapheneOS loyalists stirred drama, claiming AphyOS is “a fork of an old GrapheneOS merged with LineageOS” and linking receipts (here). Skeptics kept asking how a subscription equals privacy and why trust a “black box” VPN. Nostalgia hit too: fans miss Punkt’s earlier keypad vibes. Side quest: people wonder if GrapheneOS will land a big brand deal next. A few applauded the removable battery and repairable German build, but the loud chorus asks: do we now pay monthly to avoid being the product?
Key Points
- •Punkt. announced the MC03 smartphone at CES, emphasizing privacy and data ownership.
- •The device runs AphyOS, featuring dual domains (Vault and Wild Web) for controlled app use and privacy management.
- •Proton joins Threema as a trusted partner, with Proton services available within the secure Vault space.
- •Hardware includes a 120Hz OLED HDR display, removable 5200mAh battery, IP68 rating, and 64MP main camera; manufactured in Germany.
- •The MC03 is subscription-based, includes features like Digital Nomad VPN and Ledger, and is priced at CHF/$/€699.