Gas detection experiments were performed with individual tin dioxide (SnO2) nanowires specifically configured to observe surface ion (SI) emission response towards representative analyte species. These devices were found to work at much lower temperatures (T≈280 °C) and bias voltages (V≈2 V) than their micro-counterparts, thereby demonstrating the inherent potential of individual nanostructures in building functional nanodevices. High selectivity of our miniaturized sensors emerges from the dissimilar sensing mechanisms of those typical of standard resistive-type sensors (RES). Therefore, by employing this detection principle (SI) together with RES measurements, better selectivity than that observed in standard metal oxide sensors could be demonstrated. Simplicity and specificity of the gas detection as well as low-power consumption make these single nanowire devices promising technological alternatives to overcome the major drawbacks of solid-state sensor technologies.