When good is just not enough.

I started this challenge positive, wanting a change in my life, embracing the gorgeous item I had been given and facing the difficulties ahead with a happy face. 

The first day of this challenge was a Saturday. And for the first two hours I had withdrawal symptoms. I depend on my smartphone massively. That is the first discovery I made. The first revelation. Even though I managed to leave my phone turned off (I diverted all phone calls to the Punkt.), and needless to say, the beautiful hardware was accompanied by an equally sexy software. Long battery, clear sound and an intuitive menu. What else can you ask? Much more indeed. But this is not an iPhone or a Samsung. This is a detox phone, this is a phone that takes you back 10 years. When we, wealthy westerners, were not hooked up to a device. 

I, for myself, am hooked. I fully depend on my smartphone. I have to update Twitter constantly for Piccadilly Records. I am on call at all times except after 22:00. I had 9 phone calls diverted to the luscious Punkt. All of them were related to internet content or social media. I really, really struggled without my usual phone. 

Now, Sunday came. Day with the kids. Car journey to a market fair one hour away. ‘Where is your phone, daddy?’ Here it is boys. What is that daddy? No Youtube, no apps to play, no videos to watch. I had to give up. I succumbed to the pressure of having to deal with a return journey with my offspring shouting, fighting and being a nuisance. Rather have them glued to a screen. And that is what I did. Smartphone back on. I lost the challenge. 

The Punkt. phone is great if you are not in a line of business where you need to be updating media content 7 days a week. Unfortunately, not for me. 

However, this is a strikingly hot phone made of great materials with menus worth praise and a philosophy that should be more dominant than it is these days. Hopefully, times will change and we will go back to a time where devices are less addictive than they are today. 

Many thanks and good luck. 

Silvestre Fernandez

Twitter @piccadillyrecs