2026
OPEN_SLATE
INDUSTRIAL DESIGN
CLIENT: BRAX TECHNOLOGIES PBC
A powerful and private 2-in-1 tablet
Open_slate is built to last, designed to stay open and meant to remain under your control.
Modern consumer electronics are designed less and less with the user’s interest in mind. With every product cycle, something we value disappears: headphone jacks, removable batteries, SD card slots, physical buttons, expandable storage, the ability to repair, and the right to choose our software. Even the ports we need to connect to other devices are vanishing. These are not technical inevitabilities; they are choices made by the corporations behind our favorite gadgets.
Open_slate by Brax Technologies challenges all this, thanks to its modular design, native Linux / Android support and hardware kill-switches that give back control to the end-users.
The current electronics market favors closed ecosystems over the practical needs of the user, while increasingly designing for planned obsolescence.
Transparent inside-out
Following the design language introduced by Brax3 phone, Open-slate features a window in the back made of dark tinted acrylic. Transparency is used both to reinforce the open and transparent communication style of Brax Technologies and as an aesthetic feature to show off the technology inside.
Open-slate features a variety of ports including multiple USB-C ports, a USB-A port, a 3.5mm headphone jack and a Micro-HDMI port
Meaningful functionalities meant to bring back control to users.
KILL-SWITCHES. Software settings can be ignored. Permissions can be bypassed. Background processes can run hidden. Malware can override controls. Open_slate features 5 physical hardware kill-switches that completely disconnect key components at the circuit level. When you flip the switch, power to that component is cut. The kill-switches can enable and disable wifi, bluetooth, camera, microphone and GPS.
MODULAR DESIGN. Open-slate was designed with the end users in mind: people that want performance, control and privacy. It features a modular design that is easy to customize, service and repair. The back panel can be opened through 6 non-proprietary screws, the battery can be quickly removed and swapped by sliding the dedicated button and the M2 PCIE memory can be easily customized.
A range of accessories to suit different needs
Open_slate product offering is complemented by a variety of accessories that include a rugged case, a keyboard folio case, a simple folio case, an active stylus, and an ethernet adapter. All accessories have been designed coherently, with a bold, professional and slightly techy look.
