Reviews
If Bling Is Your Thing The GRAY Trezor ‘Corazon’ Will Steal Your Heart
Christina Comben | Jun 12, 2019 | 09:00
Bitcoin hardware wallets don’t excite many people. Well, maybe just a little, especially when they come with stickers. But the aesthetically stunning GRAY Trezor Corazon will leave even the coldest hearts aflutter.
The GRAY Trezor Corazon Takes You on a ‘Visual Journey’
If you want more flowery rhetoric, read through the user guide. It’s not so much informational as inspiring, with talk of how the Corazon is a “daring experiment in mechanical and technological artistry.” I think the word “jaw-dropping” is thrown in there as well.
Cutting through the hyperbole, I have to confess my jaw did drop just a little as I took out the contents of the box.
The GRAY Trezor Corazon is the Rolex of cryptocurrency hardware bitcoin wallets. Having this baby in the palm of your hand is like holding a diamond-encrusted paperweight. The Titanium version catches the light on each of its perfect angles. It made me feel empowered and important. And like I own more bitcoin than I actually do.
What’s in the Box?
The Trezor GRAY Corazon comes complete with the chunkiest lengthiest USB cord I’ve ever seen, at over a meter long. There are also SatohiLabs and GRAY black cards for your bitcoin wallet if you want to feel important and part of a club: “welcome to the family,” they say.
I’m not sure if they’re also made from Titanium but they certainly make a loud clank when you set them down on the table. Then, of course, there’s the backup sheet, user guide, and some extremely attractive stickers.
Everything about this product screams quality and high-roller. If you’re the type of Bitcoin HODLer that drives a Lambo (or aspires to), the GRAY Trezor Corazon was made for you.
The Price Is Equally Jaw-Dropping
The Corazon comes in three models, Titanium, Stealth, and Gold, with equally jaw-dropping prices at $697, $996, and $1,496 respectively. With price tags like these, GRAY Trezor isn’t going after the small-time trader or geek in T-shirt.
And, in fact, there’s very little reason to buy one of these since it’s basically a Trezor Model T wrapped in (extremely pretty) aerospace grade titanium.
It’s a sort of apocalypse-proof Trezor. You won’t have to worry if you drop this device on the floor. It could probably even get run over by a car and come out unscathed, but I wasn’t willing to experiment with that.
User Experience Is Everything You’d Expect from a Trezor
Connect your USB to the Corazon, open trezor.io/start in your browser and you can begin. Of course, you’ll get the warning signs from both the Corazon and the Bridge that you need to back up your wallet.
If you’ve used a Trezor before, you’ll know the drill already. If you’re moving over from a Nano S or just getting into a hardware wallet for the first time, the experience is a little less nauseating than Ledger.
Rather than a 24-word seed, the Trezor uses just 12 words. The touch screen also makes it miles easier to use rather than manually double tapping buttons on the Leger Nano S or Nano X. Reconfirming your seed is also less heinous as you only have to confirm two random words rather than all.
It should be stressed that using a 12-word seed isn’t a problem in terms of security. 12-word seeds provide 128 bits of security, while 24-word seeds provide 256 bits of security. However, while Bitcoin utilizes 256-bit private keys, the security of the elliptic curve is around half of the used bits. In short? You’re fine with a 12-word seed.
When it came to setting the pin, I found it strange that it didn’t specify how long it should be, but then, I am used to using Ledger. The whole setup process takes just a couple of minutes and you get to experience the pleasure of holding the beautiful chunky Corazon in your hand all the time.
Setting Up Accounts Is Easy Enough
Adding accounts is easy, the same process as with Trezor and the Corazon supports over 700 cryptocurrencies.
If it were all about aesthetics, the GRAY Trezor Corazon sh**s all over Ledger. Even the neatly packaged Nano X can’t compete with this grade of luxury. But, when it comes to cryptocurrency wallets, aesthetics is probably the least important factor.
Where the Corazon Falls Down
One area where the Corazon fails to delight is that it’s not Bluetooth compatible like the Ledger Nano X. That’s because it’s basically just an armored Trezor Model T.
That said, the exceptionally lengthy USB cable allows for some limited pacing around as you transact. It’s also a lot more expensive, but then, this company’s target market shouldn’t be put off by the price tag.
The Takeaway
If bling is your thing, get a GRAY Trezor Corazon. And while you’re at it, perhaps some of the other delightful accessories the company offers that make you feel ultra-wealthy, from iPhone covers to business card holders, all at similar prices.
But if you’re looking for simple functionality and not bothered about flying first class, there’s no real reason to shell out for this. If you want an easy-to-use touch screen, get a Trezor model T. And if you want a hardware wallet that lets you transact with your phone, then go for the Ledger Nano X.
You’ll probably still keep thinking about the Corazon though, it kind of has that effect.
Would you get the Corazon? Share your thoughts below!
Images author’s own.
