by Abhimanyu Ghoshal
October 23, 2026 - Most modular phones are all about the swappable hardware or their repairability; but Brax's upcoming model takes a slightly different approach: it's going for maximum privacy.
The Brax Wink features a BlackBerry-style design with the front split between a 4-inch display and a full physical keyboard. That bottom half can be swapped out for an extra battery.
The phone runs on a de-Googled version of Android called BraxOS. That means it has the same foundation as the popular OS but you will not require a Google account to use it, and your phone activity will not be tracked for collecting analytics and delivering ads. It is open source, so anyone can audit it on GitHub.
That is 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 whole device.
Brax also operates an end-to-end encrypted calling and texting service exclusively for its devices; the company says no-one will be able to access the contents of your communication through this channel. If you need it, there is a data-only mode that blocks calls and texts and only allows VoIP calls and messaging services.
The Wink can also wipe your data when a specific condition is met. That could be the use of a duress password, one too many failed unlock attempts, or simply every time the device is restarted.
With this sort of feature set, the Wink will likely attract people who value control over their data and who gets to see it.
It might also interest people who want a simple, compact phone with a nice keyboard and a utilitarian design. The keys look like they will offer decent tactile feedback as you type, and you can also swipe across them to scroll through on-screen content.
Beyond that, this is a mid-tier handset at best. It will get the new octa-core MediaTek MT8875 chip, 8-GB RAM, 128-GB onboard storage, support for an additional 1 TB with its microSD card slot, a 4-inch OLED touchscreen, a 3.5-mm audio jack, a single 50-megapixel rear camera, and software updates until 2032.
There is no front camera or fingerprint sensor, so you will miss the ability to make video calls and you will 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 10 mm. We do not yet know what it will weigh and what kind of battery life you can expect. The modular battery accessory has not been specced either, and is not available to pre-order with the phone right away.
It is expected to retail at US$700, but you can pre-order one from the July 2027 batch now for $449 upfront. Alternatively, a $30 deposit will get you on the list for batch two (due next September); that will cost a total of $550.
If you are looking for something more familiar, the easily repairable Fairphone 6+ is now available stateside. For a more unique device, check out the Sidephone, which lets you swap out its T9 keypad for an iPod-style click wheel or a keyboard with more buttons. BlackBerry fans might be into the Minimal Phone 2 or the Unihertz Titan 2 Elite that came out this year.