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 one has a compact and modular design and a physical QWERTY keyboard. The device, described as made for true connectivity 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 is a 4-inch OLED touch display, but we do not know the exact resolution. The listing just says “high resolution.” It has 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 is microSD card support to further expand storage up to 1TB.
For photography, the Brax Wink has a 50MP rear camera. There is 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. Although 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 are not a fan of the QWERTY keyboard, you can also use the phone without a keyboard. But for those who use it as is, the physical keyboard is touch-sensitive. This allows you to scroll and swipe by moving your fingers over the keys. There is also a privacy switch that turns off the microphones and camera when you turn them off. Users can further customize the features they disable.
In terms of software, the Brax Wink runs on BraxOS. It’s not your typical OS. There are no Google Play Services. The company claims that there is no vendor tracker, no ads, and no spying on how someone uses the phone. Brax promises software updates until 2032. The software also offers some practical features, such as a forced password that wipes the device after multiple failed unlock attempts and automatic wipe if the phone is left off for too long or restarts.
It also offers end-to-end encryption for calls and messages between Brax users, change IMEI, and the option to restrict regular calls and SMS. There are some additional features such as the ability to restrict the USB-C port to charging only and disable 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 access to installed apps 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 starting in July 2027. Meanwhile, Batch 2 buyers now pay a $30 deposit and the remaining $520 in July 2027. This makes the price $550, and shipping begins in September 2027.