Table of Contents
Introduction
Wireless technology has become such an increasingly important feature in our tech-world nowadays, that we’re trying to make everything and anything wireless. Wireless TVs? Yes, please. Wireless speakers? No worries at all! At this rate, it seems possible that we may not see wires anywhere in our lives.
Latest update on 2022-11-27 | Images | Affiliate links from Amazon Product Advertising API
One of the first wireless functioning systems was Bluetooth that was invented in 1994 by a Dutch Engineer named Jaap Hartsen. He was working as an electrical engineer at the world renowned company Ericson when he discovered the technology by himself, and was given the inventor of the year award as well.
Wireless technology has slowly creeped in our devices that we use on a daily basis. Our remote controllers are all wireless, be it for our televisions or for our gaming consoles. Laptops have become an immensely popular piece of technology that has taken the standard computer, and redefined it as a wireless version allowing users to have a lot more comfort and ease-of-use with their everyday tasks.
Another daily device that we use are keyboards and mice to go with our computers. These components are of profound significance when it comes to operating a computer, and they’ve seen their fair share of wireless enforcement as well. This change has come in the shape of wireless receivers or bluetooth ones.
After the wired usage of these devices became too much of a hassle, this move forward seemed inevitable. Wireless receivers themselves have seen a lot of improvement as well, and we’re covering the most popular ones, being nano receivers, and the newest technology introduced by Logitech, being the nano unifying receivers.
Nano Receivers
Nano receivers have been in the market for more than a decade now, and provide exceptional functionality to the everyday user. Back in its early days, nano receivers used to be shaped like a usual USB, and plugged right in the computer. However, it soon became an inconvenience due to its large size, especially for a laptop, and users had to regularly plug it in and out to keep it from breaking.
They were soon redesigned and made a lot more compact than they were before, because the nano receiver is supposed to stay plugged in to prevent it from being lost. Logitech has been one of the leaders when it comes to making wireless peripherals.
These dongles typically make use of 2.4GHz wireless transmission to communicate with the devices and maintain a connection throughout. The nano receivers can mostly only connect with single devices, with the exception of combo sets provided by Logitech.
These combo sets consist of a keyboard and a mouse to go with it that connect together to the computer. Apart from that, Logitech’s nano receivers can only pair with a single device at a time, but it makes sure that these connections are smooth and swift.
Bluetooth has been left behind for the most part with these receivers, due to a better connection and a lot of complaints about lag issues from the users in the Bluetooth category. Logitech ships all of its top-of-the-line wireless products with their very own dongles. In addition to that, the company also makes use of smart software that installs itself when plugged in and doesn’t need the long procedure of installing drivers every time you use it.
Unifying Nano Receivers
Logitech introduced a new set of receivers, known as Unifying Receivers. They work on the same 2.4GHz transmission technology that the simple nano receivers use, but these unifying ones are significantly different in a good way.
The first notable thing that Logitech did was make the receiver even smaller than it already was. This allows the users to leave the dongle in their laptops without even being aware of its existence in the first place. They’ve also added a tiny orange logo on the plastic bit of the nano-receivers to distinguish between the regular and the unifying ones.
What makes the unifying nano receivers unique is their ability to connect up to 6 devices on one receiver. You’ll be able to connect 3 sets of keyboards and mice on a single laptop, along with a few other compatible devices as well. Logitech also promises backward compatibility with their earlier models of wireless peripherals, so you can use an existing device that you own already with the unifying receivers.
Moreover, Logitech also boasts about their Flow technology, which essentially allows certain models of wireless devices to be able to connect between two receivers with just a touch of a button. So you can take your mouse and keyboard, and switch over from your desktop PC to your laptop in a jiffy. For that, you’ll need 2 receivers though, but getting an extra one shouldn’t hurt for that added convenience.
Regular Nano Receivers VS Unifying Nano Receivers
Both of these receivers serve their purpose well and provide great usage for the average consumer. However, one is better than the other and we’re here to discuss why. The regular nano receiver is great; it works seamlessly with Logitech devices, doesn’t protrude out of the ports, and provides bare minimum latency to offer users a smooth experience with its devices. These dongles are also usually inexpensive in case you want to get an extra one and usually are included with the device as well.
However, the singular functionality does cause some issues in certain scenarios. Most laptops these days have started reducing the number of ports they have, some even to just 1 like the Macbook. This leads to the user only being able to connect either a mouse or a keyboard to the port at a single time. So unless you’re sure to use the exact combo sets that have been made by Logitech, and that work together on a single dongle, be prepared to sacrifice one of your wireless devices for the other!
You won’t have to worry about that with the unifying nano receiver. Logitech claims to offer up to 6 compatible devices that you can use along with the unifying dongle at the same time. So no matter what sort of mouse/keyboard set you to want for yourself, you can use it together with ease, and you’ll be taking up minimum real estate with just 1 port for it all. You can also buy an extra port, and switch your devices between two receivers with the click of a button, using Logitech’s Flow system. (only works with compatible devices)
In contrast to all that, there also have been several concerns about the unifying receiver, mostly about security. The dongle has been the victim of several hacking procedures and was looked into twice in the past for being vulnerable to outside threats. The company did promise firmware upgrades to fix this issue, though.
Pros & Cons
We’ve listed a few pros and cons of each of the USB receivers.
Nano Receiver
Pros
- Cheap
- Low latency
- More secure than the unifying receiver
Cons
- Can only use one device per dongle (unless it’s a set)
- Doesn’t support Flow technology
Unifying Nano Receiver
Pros
- Can connect up to 6 devices at once
- More compact
- Supports Flow technology
- Can use the same dongle with older (and compatible) devices
Cons
- Relatively expensive
- Security concerns
Final Verdict And Recommendation
In our opinion, we think both of Logitech’s receivers are best in class as compared to other companies out there. The suitable dongle for you depends on you. If you want to go for the nano unifying receiver, then you’ll need to be wary of the security concerns in public spaces, and if you can take the necessary precautions in that department, then you’ll be good to go. The plus point? You’ll have the option of using different models of your mice and keyboards on just a single dongle, and if your model supports it, then you can make use of the brilliant Flow technology as well.
On the other hand, if you want to keep it old school, and not put it $10+ on a dongle, then you should stick with the regular receiver. It’ll get the job done, will be more secure to use, and will offer lower latency than usual. So if you want a receiver that you can be more relaxed about regarding security concerns, and are fine with using the combo sets that Logitech provides out of the box with its keyboards and mice, then you’ll be good to go with the regular nano dongle as well.
Conclusion
All in all, we all need a decent pair of wireless mouse and keyboard at some phase during our lives, because the older wired models just don’t cut it anymore. (pun unintended) So to go with the best wireless devices, we think you should make use of the best nano receivers in the market as well provided by Logitech.
Great review of the differences in Logitech receivers – which seems to Be information that others, including Logitech, don’t make easy to find. Thanks!