Aug 15, 2024

The Punkt Digital Balance Challenge 2024

I've written a lot about our reliance on tech, and the way social media apps are designed to be as addictive as possible. It should come as no surprise that I'm curious in the various alternatives. You might even remember my posts on various outlets on smartphones vs. dumbphones, as well as combinations with tablets to avoid smartphones in particular. Let's face it, that wonderful computer in your pocket is the real problem here, right? We all use it too often, too much, and instead of other things, out of convenience as well as addiction.

Swiss company Punkt makes a wonderful feature phone called the Punkt MP02. I've reviewed and used it in the past, as well as its predecessor. The phone is a testament to the fact that just because you put away your high-end smartphone, you don't have to sacrifice design and style for something that looks like a plastic toy. So, when Punkt announced their Digital Balance Challenge for 2024, I knew I had to participate. Luckily they agreed, and sent me a beautiful MP02 to replace my iPhone 15 Pro Max for a bit, or more, who knows?!

Punkt MP02 and box

How's this going to work?

My main goal is to get away from my iPhone as much as possible. I won't be able to put it in a drawer and forget about it unfortunately, due to the fact that there are apps that I rely on daily.

My company use a taxi company in Stockholm, and I need their app. I could call them, theoretically, and use passwords, but it's too cumbersome to wait for an operator.
All my cards are digital, I need to pay with my iPhone. I can (and will try to) use my Apple Watch for this though.
We have a digital signing app in Sweden called BankID. I need this on a semi-daily basis.
Come to think of it, all my bank things are apps, with web access inferior or in beta, so there's that. Most won't work on an iPad, they require a smartphone.

I'm sure there are more things, but these are the crucial ones. This is interesting in itself, seeing how the society I live in is tied to services utilizing, and often requiring, a smartphone. It's a problem for older people in particular, especially now that many places won't even take cash anymore.

So, I'll have to carry the iPhone, but it'll sit in a purse of sorts (more on that later), and the idea is to not use it for calls, texting, or anything other than the necessary things. I might even do a focus mode for this, we'll see.

While I'm doing this Detox Challenge, I'll also experiment with my setup because why not? After all, I'm not looking to eliminate all digital things, it's detox, and finding something sustainable after this is over. Expect thoughts on this going forward.

Let's get started

I've already carried both my iPhone and the Punkt MP02 this week, to get a feel for it. As of today however, I'll start documenting this more, and you can look forward to updates in the newsletter on a semi-weekly basis or so. There might be the occasional post here, too, outside of the newsletter, and I'll do something on my Swedish site as well.