After a somewhat underwhelming release last year, privacy-focused brand Punkt is back with the new MC03 smartphone, which is based on Android and ships with “AphyOS,” and coming to the US this year.
The Punkt MC03 is launching at CES 2026 next week and coming to the US market in “Spring 2026” following a European debut “at the end of January.”
This new smartphone has some decent hardware, with a 6.67-inch 120Hz OLED display, a removable 5,200 mAh battery, IP68 dust/water resistance, and a 64MP main camera backed up by an 8MP ultrawide shooter. It has an in-display fingerprint sensor, MediaTek Dimensity 7300 chipset, 8GB of RAM, and 30W wired charging with 15W wireless charging too. It also has a microSD card slot.
The software is what sets it apart, though.
Punkt MC03 runs “AphyOS,” a privacy-focused OS based on Android, specifically Android 15 on this particular release. Punkt describes the OS saying:
AphyOS is a privacy-first operating system built in Switzerland and based on AOSP (Android Open Source Project). Unlike mainstream mobile OS platforms, AphyOS does not track, profile, or monetize your behavior. It gives you system-level control over apps, data flows, and permissions – without sacrificing usability. AphyOS is a subscription operating system, simply because if you don’t pay for a product, you are the product. Conventional smartphones deploy the model that you pay with your data, AphyOS allows you to pay to retain your data.
That also means there’s no Google Play Store installed – on purpose – and most services on the phone are handled by privacy-centric apps such as those from Proton (Mail, etc) and the Threema messaging app. AphyOS also comes with 5GB of cloud storage, its own email and messaging services, and a calendar app.
But the OS also costs extra.
The first year of AphyOS is free, but continued use costs €9.99/month, or you can bundle up to 5 years of support for a discount. This subscription isn’t needed to use the phone, but you’ll be reverted to “a device running AOSP” if you stop paying as features will go away.
Punkt explains:
If you don’t pay for the product, you are the product.The subscription funds ongoing security updates, privacy services, infrastructure, and continuous OS development – without relying on advertising, data harvesting, or profiling. This ensures long-term independence, transparency, and trust.
You can cancel at any time. Without an active subscription, certain core services and privacy features will be limited. To keep your MC03 fully functional, secure, and up to date, an active subscription is required.
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