Ledger Nano X Review - Is Bluetooth Worth the Extra Money?

The Nano X is the mobile Ledger. Same secure element, same operating system, same keys-never-leave guarantee as everything else in the range - plus Bluetooth and a battery, so you can manage crypto from a phone without a cable and a dongle.

Whether that is worth roughly double the Nano S Plus comes down to one question: do you actually use your phone for this?

Verdict: 4.3 / 5. Excellent if mobile matters to you. Pure overspend if it does not.

Specs#

Is Bluetooth a security risk?#

This is the question everyone asks, and the answer is: not meaningfully.

The security model does not depend on the transport. Bluetooth carries the same traffic USB does - an unsigned transaction goes in, a signature comes out - and the private key never crosses either. Every transaction still has to be approved with a physical button press while you read the details on the device's own screen.

What Bluetooth adds is a wireless attack surface for the pairing and connection layer, which is a real thing to keep patched (hence firmware updates) but is not a path to your keys. If an attacker within Bluetooth range could compromise the link, they would gain the ability to propose transactions to you - which they can already do by any other means, and which still requires you to press the buttons.

The reasonable residual concern is presence and privacy: a discoverable device broadcasting nearby. Turn Bluetooth off in device settings if you only use USB, and it behaves exactly like a Nano S Plus.

What the battery gets you#

A few hours of active use, and standby measured in weeks to months. It charges over USB-C.

The trade-off nobody mentions at purchase: a battery is a consumable. Lithium cells degrade whether used or not, and a device you intend to leave in a drawer for eight years has an aging component that a Nano S Plus does not. It is not a reason to avoid the Nano X - the wallet is your 24 words, and a dead device is replaced in an afternoon - but if your plan is deep cold storage untouched for a decade, the batteryless model is the more sensible object.

Living with it#

Slightly larger and heavier than the Nano S Plus, with a nicer feel and the same two-button interface. Pairing with Ledger Live mobile is quick and reliable in normal use; occasional pairing hiccups are resolved by forgetting the device on the phone and re-pairing.

The screen is identical to the Nano S Plus - same 128x64 monochrome panel. So the blind signing caveat is identical too: for plain sends it is entirely adequate, and for complex contract interactions it cannot show you a readable summary. If that is your main activity, the Flex is the model to look at, not this one.

App storage is a little larger than the Nano S Plus, but both hold around a hundred small apps, which is more than anyone needs given that uninstalling apps never touches funds.

Nano X versus Nano S Plus, briefly#

Full breakdown: Nano X vs Nano S Plus.

The honest summary is that you are paying about $70 for wireless mobile access. If you check and move crypto from your phone, that is money well spent - the friction saved is what determines whether you actually use the thing. If you only ever sit at a computer, the Nano S Plus is the identical device for less.

What we like#

• True mobile self-custody without cables or adapters.
• Same security as every other Ledger.
• Solid build, the nicest of the two-button models.
• Bluetooth can be disabled entirely if you prefer.

What we do not like#

• Same small screen as the model costing half as much - blind signing remains a live risk.
• A battery that ages in a device you might not touch for years.
• Roughly double the price for a convenience feature.
• Closed firmware, as with the whole range - see is Ledger safe.

Who should buy it#

Buy it if your crypto life happens on a phone, you travel and want access without carrying a laptop, or you value the convenience enough to actually check your holdings more often.

Buy something else if you are desk-bound (Nano S Plus), you sign contracts regularly and want readable transactions (Flex), or you want a device for genuinely long-term, untouched cold storage (Nano S Plus, no battery).

FAQ#

Is the Ledger Nano X worth it over the Nano S Plus?#

Only if you want to manage crypto from your phone. Security, screen and app capacity are effectively the same; you are paying for Bluetooth and a battery.

Is the Ledger Nano X Bluetooth safe?#

Yes. Private keys never leave the secure element regardless of transport, and every transaction still requires physical confirmation on the device. You can also disable Bluetooth entirely in settings.

How long does the Nano X battery last?#

Hours of active use and weeks to months on standby, charging over USB-C. Like any lithium cell it degrades over the years, which is worth considering for very long-term storage.

Can I use the Nano X with an iPhone?#

Yes, over Bluetooth with Ledger Live mobile. iOS does not offer wired access to the device, so Bluetooth is the route on Apple hardware.

Does the Nano X hold more coins than the Nano S Plus?#

It has slightly more app storage, but both hold roughly a hundred small apps. Since uninstalling an app never deletes funds, this rarely matters in practice.