Brax Technologies has announced a new phone, the Brax Wink. This comes from the company that launched the BraX3 Google-free smartphone and Brax Open_Slate tablet. Unlike traditional phones, this has a compact and modular design and a physical QWERTY keyboard. The device, described as made for real connection with built-in privacy, ships with an open-source version of Android. That means no Google Play Services.
Brax Wink pairs a Google-free experience with a modular design
As for the physical specifications, there’s a 4-inch OLED touch display, but we don’t know the exact resolution. The listing just says “high-resolution.” It features the MediaTek MT8875 4nm processor and a Mali-G626 MC2 GPU for graphics. You can get the phone in a single 8GB and 128GB storage configuration. There’s microSD card support to further expand storage up to 1TB.
For photography, the Brax Wink features a 50MP camera on the rear. There’s no front-facing camera. The phone gets dual SIM support, and you get a pull-tab for the SIM tray, eliminating the need for a SIM tray tool. Connectivity options include Bluetooth 5.4, Wi-Fi 6E, a USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C port, an audio jack, and dual speakers. While we don’t know its battery capacity, the product video suggests that you can swap out the keyboard half of the phone for a large battery module.
No Google Play Services installed
If you’re not a fan of the QWERTY keyboard, you can use the phone without the keyboard as well. But for those who want to use it as is, the physical keyboard is touch-sensitive. This will allow you to scroll and swipe by moving your fingers over the keys. There’s also a privacy switch that turns off the microphones and camera when you toggle it on. Users can further customize the features it turns off.
As for software, the Brax Wink runs on BraxOS. It isn’t your typical OS. There are no Google Play Services. The company claims there are no vendor trackers, no ads, and no spying on how one uses the phone. Brax is promising software updates until 2032. The software also offers some handy features, such as a duress password that wipes the device after multiple failed unlock attempts in a row and automatic wiping if the phone stays powered off for too long or restarts.
It also offers end-to-end encryption for calls and messages between Brax users, IMEI changing, and the option to restrict regular calls and SMS. There are some additional features like the ability to restrict the USB-C port to charging only and to turn off phone sensors such as the accelerometer, compass, gyroscope, ambient sensor, and proximity sensor. It also has a focus mode that only gives access to essential tools and cuts off access to apps installed from third-party stores.
Price and availability
The Brax Wink is now up for pre-orders and comes in two batches. Batch 1 buyers can pay just $449 instead of the regular $700 today, with shipping beginning in July 2027. Meanwhile, batch 2 buyers pay a $30 deposit now and the remaining $520 in July 2027. This makes the price $550, and shipping will start in September 2027.
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