Brax Technologies has launched the Wink, a compact 4 inch smartphone featuring a detachable physical QWERTY keyboard and zero Google services. The modular device prioritizes data privacy through hardware kill switches and custom firmware that disables system telemetry. US preorders are open now starting at an introductory price of $449 before retail pricing climbs to $700.
The hardware combines a 4 inch OLED touch screen with a swappable physical keyboard that doubles as a touchpad. Users can detach this keyboard and snap on an optional extended battery module instead. Brax runs the phone on a 4 nm MediaTek MT8875 processor with 4 Arm C1 Pro cores, 4 C1 Nano cores, and Mali G625 MC2 graphics. Memory includes 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage, expandable up to 1TB using a microSD slot. A single 50 MP camera sits on the back plate, while the front completely omits a selfie camera to prevent unauthorized visual tracking.
A physical switch on the top edge cuts direct electrical power to the microphones and camera sensor with 1 toggle. Network hardware supports physical SIM cards with a tool free tray, eSIM technology, 5G cellular, Wi Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.4, and a 3.5 millimeter headphone port. BraxOS powers the handset, using an Android base stripped of all Google trackers, services, and corporate telemetry. Brax guarantees software security updates through 2032.
System settings give users direct control over hardware sensors, allowing manual deactivation of the gyroscope, compass, accelerometer, ambient light sensor, and proximity sensor. The USB Type C port includes a charge only setting that blocks computer data syncing. Security protocols allow automatic device wipes after repeated failed login attempts, on reboot, or when a preset emergency password is typed. Preorders in the United States run across 2 shipping waves. Early buyers can secure the initial production run for $449, while the second batch requires a $30 reservation toward a final $550 total cost, with shipments planned throughout 2027.
