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Our impressions

Trezor Safe 5

Keystone 3 Pro

Pros

Small form factor and portable
Touchscreen with Gorilla® Glass 3
Excellent value at a reasonable price point

Supports 3 concurrent seed phrases
Convenient user experience with the huge touchscreen
Completely autonomous device with long lasting battery lifetime (should be at least 100+ hours in sleep mode when using the device a couple times per day, 18+ months when turned off)
Easy process for online Device Verification

Cons

Requires constant USB connection to operate
In our tests touch input was not as accurate as with the older Model T. We experienced situations that felt like lag, where we had to press multiple times, and adjacent letters to the ones we tried to enter. It is not a deal-breaker, but hopefully something that can improve with future firmware updates.

The airgapped QR code paradigm requires a camera on the paired device for certain interactions
We love their dedication to open source “EVERY SINGLE LINE” of code they write, including their hardware designs. As long as they do not deliver on their promise, it sadly still is a closed source product.

Verdict

The second product in the first line of Trezor products incorporating a secure element. The Trezor flagship model with touchscreen and successor of the Model T. Main difference being, that it lost the convenient magnetic dock, gained a Gorilla® Glass 3 front , snappier hardware, and a minimally sleeker form factor.

Is it worth it?
If you are in the market for a new hardware wallet this seems one of the most secure, versatile, and portable options.Trezor is the most veteran and one of the biggest players in the hardware wallet market for a reason. Their newest products belong to the best products you can get currently.

If you already have a Model T and use wallets with long custom 25th word there is not really a compelling need for the upgrade.

Even if you don’t have a Model T and are looking for a new hardware wallet, the Trezor Safe 3 is a very strong competitor. It too has a Secure Element, is even a tiny bit smaller and easier to carry, and has a phenomenal alternative text input method with two buttons – which does not feel much inferior to touchscreen input TBH. Given that it boasts almost the same feature-set, coin support, and costs less than half the Trezor Safe 5 we feel like the Trezor Safe 3 is the logical choice.

We recommend you go for the Trezor Model 5 only if you prefer touch input, want to make use of the advanced SD card feature, or need to have the latest and shiniest gadget.

The Keystone 3 Pro is a device that we can see in a “broad adoption of everyday Crypto financial transactions” scenario. It is a fully air-gapped, autonomous device that has great battery life with an easy to use interface on a convenient 4-inch touchscreen. We would add it to our everyday carry in an instant, in a world where QR code based Crypto payments are available at every shop and venue.

Disclaimer: Our impressions are based on a compilation of factors tailored to the average user’s perspective. It is also important to note that whether a feature is a “pro” or “con” can depend on your situation and preferences. What may be an advantage in one scenario could be a challenge in another, and vice versa. Therefore, while reviewing these points, it’s essential to consider your unique requirements and circumstances when making decisions. This list aims to provide an idea of what to anticipate, but it is not the ultimate guide to determining whether something will work for you or not.

Key features

Trezor Safe 5

Keystone 3 Pro

Release year

2024

2023

Supported coins

Supports multiple coins, Bitcoin-only mode available

BTC, ETH, LTC, XLM , DOGE, DASH, ZEC, NEM,
and a thousand others. See a full list at trezor.io/coins

Supports multiple coins

5000+ Coins Supported (Bitcoin & EVM chains)

Bitcoin-only Firmware is supposedly in the works, with an estimated release date some time before the next Bitcoin halving
Source: Comment on reddit.com

Open source

Firmware
Companion software

Planned

The Keystone team is working on also open sourcing “EVERY SINGLE LINE of code we’ve written”, including their hardware design, with an announced release date in November 2023. The announcement is worded in a way that it leaves some room of what we really can expect to be released and if they can meet their own release date.
Source: Official blog post concerning Open Source

As the focus of the Keystone 3 series is on 3rd party app compatibility the previous companion software will be faded out in the future.
Source: second hand user comment on reddit.com

Seedphrase support