Hardware wallets
Hardware wallet comparison: Trezor Model One or Model T?
Keeping your keys offline in a hardware wallet is the ultimate security solution for crypto, but which device is right for you?
You already know you need a hardware wallet, but do you need all the features of the flagship Model T or will the Model One be enough? In this article, we compare the features and specs of both hardware wallets and help you decide which you should choose first.
Contents
- Why choose Trezor?
- Setting the standard — Trezor Model One
- Hardware wallet evolved — Trezor Model T
- Hardware specifications
- Core Functionality
- Trezor Model One features
- Trezor Model T features
- Conclusion
Why choose Trezor?
Trezor wallets exist for one reason: to allow every individual in the world to access and manage their digital wealth independently, regardless of their region, citizenship, or level of technical knowledge.
All hardware and software runs open-source code, allowing users to verify firmware and security researchers to audit and improve the codebase, keeping it resilient against new threats.
Because it’s open source, there’s vast potential for customization, allowing advanced users to customize the node they connect to and stay totally independent of SatoshiLabs. It also ensures secure access to the whole crypto ecosystem as Trezor device support can be integrated into different projects.
Setting the standard — Trezor Model One
The Trezor Model One is the first hardware wallet ever created. First announced in November 2012, it revolutionized the industry by making it safe and easy to create and store private keys offline. A Model One lets you protect bitcoin for the long term, without needing a technical background, thanks to resilient cryptographic principles and user-centered design.
Personal security infrastructure
The key function of a hardware wallet is not just to keep keys offline. To qualify as a hardware wallet, it must also have Trusted Display that shows users exactly what data they are signing. All Trezor wallets show true transaction data on their screen so users immediately see that transaction details are not correct and can safely abort the transaction without exposing their keys to any threats that might be present.
Recover your funds no matter what
Your funds never depend on the device alone. If it were to be lost or stolen, you will always have a backup of your keys in the form of a list of words on paper. All new users are shown exactly how to back up their keys during setup, and the process we helped develop is now an industry standard (BIP-39). That means you never need to rely on Trezor and can access your funds on other wallets if needed.
Made for independence
After almost a decade in use the Model One has served hundreds of thousands of satisfied customers, and none have reported funds lost or stolen due to an issue with their wallet. The minimalistic design resembles a keyring ornament, making it practical to carry and easy to conceal. Open source code ensures wallets can be updated, recovered, built, rebuilt, modified and maintained independently, forever.
Hardware wallet evolved — Trezor Model T
Trezor Model T is the next-generation of hardware wallet, designed to expand the capabilities of its predecessor. This flagship device is the perfect combination of intuitive interface and powerful hardware. It improves upon the Model One across usability, privacy and security, but some features may be more advanced than the average user’s threat model demands.
Designed for isolation
At first glance, you’ll notice a lot of design changes. While the signature shape of the Model One has been carried forward, everything else is different.
The focus of the Model T is its large touchscreen display. With a full-color 240x240 pixel resolution, all sensitive inputs are made directly on the Model T device, completely isolated from the host computer at every step including PIN and Passphrase entry.
Capable of more
Some advanced functionality and certain cryptocurrencies are supported only on the Trezor Model T. This includes Shamir backup, which can make disaster-proof backups of your keys, FIDO2 authenticator support, and the ability to store Monero using a third-party interface. The Model T’s hardware advantage means it will usually be the first to support these types of advanced features, and its large intuitive screen makes it ideal for serious users.
Hardware specifications
Trezor Model One
From the outside, the Model One is protected by a casing made of robust and impact-resistant ABS plastic that protects against minor physical damage. Inside, you’ll find an ARM Cortex-M3 processor running at 120 MHz embedded on a STM32 F2 microcontroller. This popular hardware combination, used by many other manufacturers, provides smooth and secure access to your coins.
Trezor Model T
The Model T’s hardware is hidden inside a durable casing made from reinforced ABS+PC plastic, bonded by ultrasonic welding. Inside you’ll find a more powerful ARM Cortex-M4 processor running at 168 MHz embedded on STM32 F4 microcontroller. The Model T also comes with an SD-card slot and USB-C port.
Trezor devices do not use batteries, they are powered over USB when connected to a host computer or phone.
Core Functionality
All you need to use a Trezor hardware wallet is a computer, a USB cable and an interface such as Trezor Suite.
Trezor Suite is a free desktop and web application for Windows, macOS and Linux that gives you full control over your assets while improving security and privacy. You can also set up and use your Trezor on the go, thanks to compatibility with Android phones.
Setup on both devices is quick and intuitive through Trezor Suite’s onboarding process, though the Trezor Model T is generally considered more natural to use thanks to its touchscreen display.
In addition to basic wallet features, such as send and receive, both Trezor devices are enhanced by a broad ecosystem of tools and functions united in Trezor Suite.
Privacy
Control your data by using fresh addresses for every received transaction, keep funds separated across accounts, and create hidden wallets using passphrases. Turn on the Tor privacy network to keep your online activity hidden and maintain financial privacy. Use Discreet mode and Locktime to enhance keep a low profile in any situation.
Security
Trezor devices are protected at several levels. In the hardware, a cryptographically-secure random number generator creates unique seeds that are impossible to guess with modern technology. Keeping this seed offline at all times, it is safe from online attacks.
On a physical level, a PIN prevent others from using the device, while several technical barriers prevent sophisticated attackers from extracting the private keys, the most effective being use of a passphrase, which encrypts the seed with a phrase the user chooses.
Trezor wallets can be also used as two-factor authentication (U2F) token, to provide easy and secure login to Twitter, Google, Github, and other services. They can also Sign & Verify messages, which is useful to prove ownership of an address.
Usability
Basic device functions in Trezor Suite are kept clear and intuitive, so you can quickly send transactions, bump fees with RBF, create new accounts and more, no matter what device you use.
Trezor makes self-custody easy at every stage of the journey and thanks to Invity, a SatoshiLabs company, you can compare buy, sell and exchange offers across many vetted providers. Both models of Trezor let you Trade directly in the Trezor Suite app, choose the best deals for different payment types and currencies, and send funds directly to your hardware wallet or bank account when the transaction is complete.
Better than a bank, Trezor wallets are all-in-one crypto ecosystems that fit into the palm of your hand. Stay independent, private, and secure, whichever device you choose.
Trezor Model One features
Functionality of the Trezor Model One is enough for anyone looking to keep their funds safe for the long term. It has two button on the front which are used to confirm actions and make selections. The Model One has all the security essentials: it creates secure seeds reliably and has a built-in 128x64 pixel OLED screen which fulfills the needs of a Trusted Display, as mentioned above. With a Model One, you can verify the authenticity of any transaction before signing it, no matter what device you use your Trezor with.
Thanks to Trezor Suite, the Trezor Model One continues to be capable of more and more with each update, meaning you can use it with many different cryptocurencies and enjoy additional features like Tor, RBF, Locktime, Sign & Verify, Taproot accounts and more.
Trezor Model T features
From a functionality point of view, the Model T offers everything you find in Model One, with several useful extensions and more advanced features. The main advantage of the Model T is its touchscreen, which completely removes the need for buttons.
Every sensitive action has to be confirmed by the user directly on the screen. PIN, passphrase and recovery seed can all be entered directly via the touchscreen, avoiding keyloggers and other malware.
A key distinction is that the Trezor Model T allows users to set up a Shamir Backup, which removes the single point of failure of a Recovery Seed. Shamir backup splits the seed into a user-defined number of shares, which must be combined together to recover the wallet. This means shares can be held in multiple locations and loss of one or several will not prevent you from accessing your coins.
The Trezor Model T supports more coins than the Model One, and provides additional features such as Shamir Backup, FIDO2 authentication and an SD-card slot.
Click here to see a full list of supported coins.
Conclusion
It’s hard to say which device is better, as we all have different needs; but whether you buy a Model One or Model T, you won’t be disappointed. Both devices offer an excellent and simple-to-navigate user interface, quick setup, and the highest security standards, ensuring that no one except you can access your money.
The flagship Model T is a fully-fledged digital wealth management device, designed for everyday use and streamlined access to your coins and data.
The Model One is the foundation of personal crypto security. It is all you need to take control of your coins, and makes an ideal hardware wallet for users with a smaller budget who don’t need all the advanced features of the Model T, or as a backup device for those who already have a Model T.
Whether you’re a hodler, trader, or an absolute beginner in the world of Bitcoin, Trezor hardware wallets are the ultimate solution to your needs, protecting you from all manner of threats.
