DeGoogle Yourself

Brax Technologies, the company behind the BraX3 smartphone and the open_slate tablet, opened pre-orders for the Wink last week with plans to ship it in two batches next year.

Rob Braxman, a co-founder of the company and known on the web as The Internet Privacy Guy, had presented the Wink at a roadmap event last month.

The Wink runs BraxOS, an Android-based operating system that does not include Google services, and the device comes with a physical switch located on top that can be configured to shut off the camera, microphones, location, sensors, or mobile network.

During setup, you can pick between Omni, a full Android experience, and Zero, a stripped-down mode limited to encrypted messaging, calls, messages, and optional navigation.

BraxOS does not support Google account sign-ins or Google Play Services, but Brax says most Android apps still run without issues. The exceptions are apps that check for Google's integrity services before starting, which includes a few banking apps.

The Wink can also wipe itself on triggers you set in advance, namely every restart, a long stretch powered off state, repeated failed unlock attempts, and a duress password.

Brax promises updates until 2032 and says anyone can build BraxOS from source, with files available in its BraX3 repositories.

Key specifications

Coming back to the hardware that powers all that, we have:

SoC: MediaTek MT8875 with an octa-core CPU (4x Arm C1-Pro and 4x Arm C1-Nano cores, 4 nm) and an Arm Mali-G625 MC2 GPU.
RAM & Storage: 8 GB, alongside 128 GB of built-in storage.
Display: 4-inch OLED touchscreen
Camera: 50 MP rear camera, sensor not disclosed.
Keyboard: Physical QWERTY keys that are touch-sensitive and support swipe scrolling.
Networking: Global LTE and 5G bands, plus physical SIM and eSIM support.
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.4.
Ports: USB-C 3.2 Gen 1, a 3.5 mm headphone jack, and a microSD slot for cards up to 1 TB.

Getting the device

Pre-orders come in two batches, each capped at the number of units being built:

Batch 1 is for buyers who pay in full at $449, a price Brax guarantees, and those units go out first in July 2027.
Batch 2 starts with a $30 deposit toward a $550 total. The remaining $520 would be charged around July 2027, with these units shipping in September 2027.

The deposit amount is refundable until the balance is paid, and orders can be changed or cancelled while they are still reservations. Shipping dates can also change, and reservation holders will be emailed about any change before the remaining amount is due.

Each unit is set to ship with the keyboard, a USB-C cable, and a translucent case.

If such phones interest you, you can also explore the MAKERphone 2.0.