Ledger Nano X vs. Nano S

[squatter]

I'm planning to purchase a Ledger to play around with. The only upgrades on the Nano X seem to be capacity (for running more altcoin apps on the same device) and Bluetooth capability. Is that correct?

$59 for the Nano S sounds more reasonable given the lack of new functionality on the Nano X. Are there any other considerations to make?

[Rath_]

$59 for the Nano S sounds more reasonable given the lack of new functionality on the Nano X. Are there any other considerations to make?

The Nano X has a slightly better screen - its backlight is better and it's bigger so you can slowly read anything displayed on the screen (addresses do not fit on the Nano S; the text constantly moves). Also, it has a USB-C port - a small thing which might be important for some people. I don't like having a lot of different cables.

[crwth]

If you are planning to bring it everywhere you go, Nano X does a great job with it. Imagine having to be able to transact without any need for cords and stuff. You need your smartphone installed with Ledger Live, and you are good to go. You can manage any cryptocurrency right on your phone. The battery life is good as well. It could last a month, depending on your usage as well.

Overall, I would get the Nano X because of the convenience of it. If you are going to get a hardware wallet, why not get the best one out there?

[bitmover]

I would buy a Nano S.

The best has no big difference, and personally I would not carry my saving around where I go.
It is likely that someone could try to rob me (physically) if I keep carrying a stuff like this around, and force me to give my Bitcoins. I live in Brazil, maybe you don't have that problem where you live.

Anyway, I see no good reason to upgrade. You can have 3 blockchains installed. I have in mine BTC ETH and XRP, they work very well, and I can carry all my shitcoins in the Eth chain.

I like to keep some money in my mobile device, so I can have some bitcoins wherever I go. I was never able to buy anything with those bitcoins, but I was able to give them as a gift to some friends (to people I could not convince to buy BTC, so I gave them lol). I see no reason to carry a hardware wallet around.... Unless you have 2.

[squatter]

The Nano X has a slightly better screen - its backlight is better and it's bigger so you can slowly read anything displayed on the screen (addresses do not fit on the Nano S; the text constantly moves). Also, it has a USB-C port - a small thing which might be important for some people. I don't like having a lot of different cables.

The bolded sounds a bit maddening. Thanks for pointing that out! I'd definitely prefer a screen that displays entire addresses.

Too bad I missed those Black Friday deals. Anyone have one of those 20% discount codes for me? Shoot me a PM, thanks!

[NeuroticFish]

I see you've decide yourself, still... I think that Nano X price makes sense only if you want to indeed use the bigger memory (big number of wallets/apps).

I have Nano S. The addresses and amounts indeed don't fill in the screen and they auto-scroll to let you read, but imho it's not that bad. Edit: from what I see with the newest firmware even this is changed to better
And with any 0.5$ OTG adapter the cable works with the smartphone too.

[Pmalek]

...addresses do not fit on the Nano S; the text constantly moves).

They actually changed this with the new 1.6 firmware. The address no longer moves on its own. It still doesn't fit the screen but it is divided in 3 parts. Once you check the beginning of the address you click on the right button to see the middle part and again to see the last couple of digits.

For me personally, the Bluetooth option is no reason to go for Nano X over the Nano S. I take my hardware wallet out of its hiding only when I need to receive/send coins. I have no intentions to carry it with me.

The bigger capacity also means nothing to me. Who really owns 100+ coins? I am not sure I could name 100 different coins and tokens if I had to.

It is nice not having to install/uninstall your apps due to a lack of storage on the Nano S but they fixed that as well with the newest firmware. 6-10 apps at the same time, depending on the app combination should be possible.
 

[o_e_l_e_o]

Unless you desperately need Bluetooth functionality (and the Ledger Nano S is still compatible with non-Apple phones via a cable), then I don't think it's worth paying double the price for the Nano X unfortunately. I'd rather buy two Nano S models for the price of one Nano X, and use one as an off-site back up.

I had wanted a Nano X for a while to play with and relegate my current Nano S to back up, but ended up just getting another Nano S in the Christmas sales. The storage space is only an issue if you hold a ton of useless alts, in which case you should just sell them for bitcoin anyway. And as Pmalek says, the address doesn't scroll anymore - you just check each part separately.

[Lucius]

Too bad I missed those Black Friday deals.

You definitely missed a good discount for Black Friday (last day they give 35%). Some have already written to you about the benefits of Nano X, and there's not much to add. What I, as the owner of the Nano S and Nano X, can say is that it makes sense to buy a Nano X if you consider that it is a new device with a lot more inertial memory than the S model and that Ledger is likely to base further development on this model.

Don't get me wrong, the Nano S is a pretty good device and serves a purpose, and in the end, it all depends on how much money you want to invest in the safety of your coins.

This is a small review of my Nano X : Ledger Nano X - Review of the package.

[The Sceptical Chymist]

The Nano X has a slightly better screen

That may well be true, but the screen isn't used for all that much on the Nano S as far as I can tell, at least for basic sending and receiving of coins.  It functions and looks just fine IMO, and I'm not sure I'd care all that much if the Nano X had a better display. 

Unless you desperately need Bluetooth functionality (and the Ledger Nano S is still compatible with non-Apple phones via a cable), then I don't think it's worth paying double the price for the Nano X unfortunately.

Yeah, that's the main reason why I haven't bought an X, because I don't need the additional functionality it offers and I'm not willing to pay the extra money for something that isn't necessary.  I really like the "Over the Moon" model, though and I was considering getting one if it ever went on sale, but it never did.  Oh well, not a big deal.  Ultimately if I were someone who was going to buy a Ledger for the first time and for whom cost was a factor, I'd definitely go with the Nano S. 

[bitmover]

The bolded sounds a bit maddening. Thanks for pointing that out! I'd definitely prefer a screen that displays entire addresses.

Too bad I missed those Black Friday deals. Anyone have one of those 20% discount codes for me? Shoot me a PM, thanks!

Don't worry about this. You need to see the entire address
You don't need to check the whole address.  Just take a look at the first ones and last ones. And staring in the screen for a few seconds is not maddening at all...

Definitely I would buy 2 nano s if I wished to pay the double price (the x model)

[squatter]

Unless you desperately need Bluetooth functionality (and the Ledger Nano S is still compatible with non-Apple phones via a cable), then I don't think it's worth paying double the price for the Nano X unfortunately.

That's the other nice thing -- iOS support for the Nano X. I have a Huawei but the primary phone I carry everywhere is an Iphone. Not that I really see myself transacting on the go much, but combined with the Bluetooth functionality it could be quite useful.

The consensus around here definitely leans in favor of the Nano S. I'm still a bit torn, considering the bigger screen and iOS support.

Thanks for you opinions!

[DireWolfM14]

I also wrote a caparison review in Lucius' review thread.  For my needs (bitcoin maximalist) and considering how infrequently I travel without a computer, I came to the conclusion that the Nano S serves the purpose.  I actually prefer the competition's hardware wallet for various reasons, but that's a personal decision that amounts to six in one and half dozen in the other.

If the extra expense for the Nano X isn't a big deal for you, it's a nicer unit and you won't be disappointed.  I will say that the bigger screen is easier on my aging eyes.  The various upgrades do make the Nano X worth the extra expense, but like anything, only if you put them to use.  If the money is an issue for you, and you don't own a bunch of alt-coins stick with the Nano S.  

[Pmalek]

What about the hardware in the new Nano X compared to the Nano S. Did they make any significant changes in the secure element and the storage of private keys? Can the new device be considered safer in any way compared to the S model? Does anyone have some more info on that?

Too bad I missed those Black Friday deals. Anyone have one of those 20% discount codes for me? Shoot me a PM, thanks!

Have you tried the one from here, does it not work anymore?
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5216810.0

[figmentofmyass]

What about the hardware in the new Nano X compared to the Nano S. Did they make any significant changes in the secure element and the storage of private keys? Can the new device be considered safer in any way compared to the S model? Does anyone have some more info on that?

they upgraded to a newer secure element but both are CC EAL5+ certified (the highest level for penetration testing) so it's unlikely to make much of a difference.

if anything, using bluetooth could open up new attack vectors---i'm mainly thinking about privacy since the bluetooth stack can transport pubkeys and addresses.

[Lucius]

The consensus around here definitely leans in favor of the Nano S. I'm still a bit torn, considering the bigger screen and iOS support.

I believe that price is a crucial factor influencing this opinion and the very fact that X&S does not make much difference when considering the basic functions. Both devices have as their main function complete protection and isolation of the private keys, and both devices do the same in the same way. If you look at things from that angle alone, the Nano S is a logical choice.

In my opinion, one of the most important advantages of Nano X is its significantly larger storage, which will allow further development in the future. S model is far more limited in this regard, what I took into consideration when buying model X.

It's always been fascinating to see people buying expensive smartphones for $500+, but at the same time, they consider hardware wallets that cost less than $100 an expensive investment.

[liberox]

Nano S is better for me by security reasons, as I don`t like the wireless feature: it`s too vulnerable point of the X version and will ever be.
Nano X is just more comfortable with the better screen, lights and screen dimentions. However I don`t think they worth the security risk.

[figmentofmyass]

Nano S is better for me by security reasons, as I don`t like the wireless feature: it`s too vulnerable point of the X version and will ever be.
Nano X is just more comfortable with the better screen, lights and screen dimentions. However I don`t think they worth the security risk.

to be fair, you can simply disable bluetooth on the nano X and use the USB-C cable instead. you can use it just like a nano S except with the better screen, backlight, IOS device support, etc.

the bluetooth functionality can't compromise private keys, which are still held within the secure element. even if your bluetooth connection were hacked, your consent is still required to sign a malicious transaction.

Did they make any significant changes in the secure element and the storage of private keys? Can the new device be considered safer in any way compared to the S model? Does anyone have some more info on that?

still can't find much info about this, but according to this techcrunch article:

Ledger now uses an ST33 secure element, which is slightly more secure than the previous version ST31. Now, there’s only a single chip, connected directly to the screen and buttons, which reduces the risk of having someone compromise the information on your screen.

[Pmalek]

if anything, using bluetooth could open up new attack vectors---i'm mainly thinking about privacy since the bluetooth stack can transport pubkeys and addresses.

That is what I think as well. There haven't been any issues with the Bluetooth service... yet. That doesn't mean there isn't one that hasn't been discovered yet. So I look at this way. The Bluetooth is one additional security risk, a possible one. I'd rather keep the risks as limited as possible. Sorry if I sound to negative

[dkbit98]

With latest firmware update it looks like that capacity for Ledger Nano S is also larger now,
and Ledger advertises Nano X for traveling and Nano S for home usage.
It would be great to have both, and there where some packages like this as holiday sale.

In any case they sent me 20% discount code valid until Jan 19, 11:59PM CET if anyone wants to use it

TEZOS-L8E1D2

LEDGERAMA

*Available until January 24th