Similarities between Ledger Nano S and Nano X
At their core, both Ledger Nano S and Nano X are hardware crypto wallets built on the same principle – to provide the ease of cryptocurrency transactions as offered by hot wallets, as well as the security offered by cold storage solutions.
Both devices use the dual-chip architecture — a 32-bit general purpose micro-controller for general operations, and a bank-grade Secure Element to store the wallet private keys securely.
The older Nano S uses the general purpose STM32F042K general purpose micro-controller and the ST31H320 Secure Element, whereas the Nano X uses the newer STM32WB55 (general purpose) and ST33J2M0 (Secure Element) chips. Both the devices also score the same Common Criteria (CC) EAL5+ certification level based on their chip architecture.
Differences between Ledger Nano S and Nano X
The Ledger Nano X is very similar to the Nano S except for a few minor differences. As you can see, the Nano X boasts a much larger hard drive than the tiny 5 app storage capacity on the Nano S.
This means that you can send and receive transactions while out and about by pairing the Nano X to your Mobile phone and managing the device via the Ledger Live mobile app.
The Ledger Nano X improves on both design and functionality over its older brother, the Nano S, without compromising on the device’s security. Let’s take a closer look at the differences.
So what’s really different in the new Nano X? Well, there are a few pretty significant differences. But whether they matter is entirely up to you.
- Look & Feel The first thing you would notice about the Ledger Nano X is that it is a bit larger and heavier than its predecessor. Build-wise, both the devices have a similar brushed stainless steel and plastic finish. Overall, the Nano X looks and feels a bit more premium compared to its predecessor in our opinion.
- The Display In Nano X, the whole address can be displayed on the screen without scrolling, which is much more convenient and provides a faster way to verify the data at a glance.
- Nav Buttons The navigation/confirmation buttons have also been modified. Instead of the two buttons on the side of the device as in Nano S, now the two buttons reside on either side of the display.
- Portability Under the hood, there are a few prominent differences. The Nano X has a built-in 100 mAh battery, and the STM32WB series of micro-controllers are wireless chips with Bluetooth 5.0 support.
- Storage According to the company, the Ledger Nano X can hold more than 100 apps, each supporting a different cryptocurrency. Deleting an app from a Ledger device does not impact any of your assets. With the Ledger Live app for desktop and mobile devices, you can view the balance and transaction history of all your wallets tied to the Ledger seed.
Which Ledger device should you go for?
The answer to this depends on your day to day usage of crypto-assets. If you handle transactions between multiple cryptocurrencies frequently, the larger storage of the Nano X should be more convenient rather than the limited storage offered by the Nano S.
Also, if you need to frequently perform crypto-transactions on the go, Nano X might be the more convenient option, thanks to the Bluetooth 5.0 support.
If you’re going to purchase a Ledger Nano device for the first time, you should consider the above factors while choosing between the Nano S and Nano X.