On Sunday (6 January), the first day of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, hardware cryptocurrency wallet manufacturer Ledger announced Ledger Nano X, an improved version of Ledger Nano S, which adds support for Bluetooth, a larger screen and more storage space.
For its new product, Ledger Nano X, five improvements have been made to the already successful product, the very popular hardware wallet cryptocurrency Ledger Nano S:
- Bluetooth LE support. Ledger Nano X is still a USB drive, like Ledger Nano S, but adding Bluetooth and a new mobile version (for both iOS and Android) to the Ledger Live wallets management app means you can send or receive cryptocurrency anywhere. (even if you don't have a computer at hand).
- Slightly enlarged (OLED) screen.
- The buttons are now on the front of the device for easier navigation.
- Increased application storage space (for each type of cryptocurrency that needs to be stored on the Ledger device, you need to install an application that supports this coin / token). Although Ledger claims that Ledger Nano X can be installed up to 100 applications (compared to 18 applications that can be installed on Ledger Nano S), in practice the actual number of applications you can install depends on your cryptocurrency, since some applications take up more space than others. For example, although in Ledger Nano S you can theoretically store up to 18 apps, but many users report that they can place apps for only four or five of their favorite coins.
- Built-in rechargeable battery. This allows the Ledger Nano X, unlike the Ledger Nano S, to function, even if it is not connected via a USB cable to a computer or USB charger.
In case you want to know if the Bluetooth connection will help the hackers to hack Ledger Nano S, the CEO of the main book, Eric Larchevek, stated this in Reddit (sub-cryptoCurrency) a couple of hours ago:
“Nano X works with the assumption that the Bluetooth connection (which is the carrier, just like USB) is compromised. Adding BLE does not affect the security model. Transactions must always be physically checked on the device by pressing both buttons. Moreover, in the Nano X, screens and buttons are directly connected to the Secure Element (single-chip architecture), which is also an improvement to the overall security design. ”
He added:
“We use secure LE connections with numerical comparison (the highest level of BLE security protocol, mitigation of MITM attacks). Of course, there is nothing hacked, so ultimately the security model requires the user to verify the address on the device. Our UX, documentation and best practices put a lot of pressure on this point.
If you always check the transaction parameters on the device, you are safe no matter what happens. “
According to the Ledger blog post, you can pre-order Ledger Nano X from the Ledger website, starting today, when the device is delivered to you in March. Ledger Nano X costs 119 US dollars (free shipping) in the USA and 109 pounds sterling (free shipping) in the UK. As for the Ledger Live Mobile app, it will become available on January 28 in the iOS App Store and Google Play Store.
CES was a great joy to Ledger by presenting the Ledger Nano X with the CES Innovation in Cybersecurity and Personal Privacy Award at 2019.
Eric Larshevek, CEO of Ledger, said:
“Ledger Nano X includes everything you liked about your Nano S, but with new and improved basic features. With Bluetooth connectivity and increased capacity, Ledger Nano X provides enhanced user experience, while providing mobility and state-of-the-art security that customers expect from Ledger. CES admires recognition as a leader in protecting crypto assets. ”