Modular phone promises total privacy with the flip of a switch

Most modular phones are all about interchangeable hardware or its repairability. But Brax’s next model takes a slightly different approach: aiming for maximum privacy.

The Brax Wink features a BlackBerry-style design with the front split between a 4-inch screen and a full physical keyboard. That bottom half can be swapped out for an extra battery.

The phone runs a Google-free version of Android called BraxOS. That means it has the same foundation as the popular operating system, but you won’t need a Google account to use it and your phone activity won’t be tracked to collect analytics and serve ads. It’s open source, so anyone can audit it on GitHub.

That’s not all: a physical switch on the side of the phone lets you turn off the mobile network, microphones, camera, location, sensors, and more for the entire device.

Brax also operates an end-to-end encrypted calling and texting service exclusively for its devices; The company says that no one will be able to access the content of your communication through this channel. If you need it, there’s a data-only mode that blocks calls and texts, and only allows VoIP calls and messaging services.

Wink may also delete your data when a specific condition is met. It could be the use of a duress password, too many failed unlock attempts, or simply every time the device is rebooted.

With this type of feature set, Wink will likely appeal to people who value control over their data and who can see it.

It might also appeal to people who want a simple, compact phone with a nice keyboard and utilitarian design. It looks like the keys will offer decent tactile feedback as you type, and you can also swipe them to scroll through on-screen content.

Beyond that, this is a mid-tier phone at best. You’ll get the new octa-core MediaTek MT8875 chip, 8GB of RAM, 128GB of onboard storage, support for an additional 1TB with its microSD card slot, a 4-inch OLED touchscreen, a 3.5mm audio jack, a single 50-megapixel rear camera, and software updates until 2032.

There’s no front camera or fingerprint sensor, so you’ll lose the ability to make video calls and need a password or PIN to unlock your phone every time.

Also worth noting: the phone is a bit thicker than most other mainstream models, at 10mm. We don’t yet know how much it will weigh or what kind of battery life you can expect. The modular battery accessory has also not been specified and is not available to pre-order with the phone immediately.

If the name Brax sounds familiar, it could be due to our coverage of the company’s open_slate tablet that we covered earlier this year. That model was crowdfunded on Indiegogo, but deliveries were delayed a couple of months until December.

You’ll want to keep this in mind if you like Wink. It’s expected to retail for $700, but you can now reserve one from the July 2027 batch for $449 upfront. Alternatively, a $30 deposit will get you on the list for lot two (due next September), but that will cost a total of $550.

Find the Wink at Brax’s site.

If you’re looking for something more familiar, the easily serviceable Fairphone 6+ is now available in the United States. For a more unique device, check out the Sidephone, which lets you swap out your T9 keyboard for an iPod-style click wheel or a keyboard with more buttons. BlackBerry fans might like the Minimal Phone 2 or the Unihertz Titan 2 Elite that came out this year.

Source: Brax Technology