Are There Security Systems Better Than a Qolsys IQ Panel 2 Alarm System?

One could easily argue that there are no security systems better than a Qolsys IQ Panel 2 Alarm System. The IQ Panel 2 offers a diverse range of features and capabilities that separate it from the other wireless security panels on the market today. It is often considered the best system.

Qolsys designed the IQ Panel 2 as a follow-up to their original IQ Panel System. The new IQ Panel 2 was immediately praised for its sleek, modern design and beautiful 7-inch full-color display screen. The touchscreen controls are responsive, and the menus are easy to navigate. The system is noted for being very intuitive and perhaps more organized than competing panels. It is capable of supporting up to 128 wireless zones and 242 user codes, making it suitable for both small and large applications. It can easily monitor an entire business complex or a quaint house or apartment. The panel connects with Alarm.com for remote access and control. The Alarm.com integration makes the IQ Panel 2 compatible with both Google Home and Amazon Alexa.

The reason the IQ Panel 2 is such a great system is because of its excellent features. It comes with a built-in Z-Wave Plus controller for immediate smart home control. The integrated camera produces photos after each system disarm, and it also doubles as motion sensor. The panel also houses a built-in glass break sensor that can be configured as a system zone. End users also appreciate the optional Bluetooth disarming feature, which will disarm the panel as soon as their smartphone is in Bluetooth range of the system. The Qolsys IQ Panel 2 is also notable for being one of the few alarm systems that comes with both cellular and WIFI capabilities included, allowing for dual-path connectivity right out of the box.

Qolsys has also been continually updating the IQ Panel 2 by providing firmware updates. This has unlocked some additional panel features to help it stand out from the pack. One of the newest features is facial recognition. This will have Alarm.com send the user an alert through text or email if someone else disarms the system using their code. The camera can actively distinguish between faces and detect suspicious activity. Qolsys also matched the 2GIG GC3 by releasing partition support for the IQ Panel 2. The system is capable of operating up to four distinct partitions for added flexibility and control. There was also an update to live-stream Alarm.com Cameras directly from the panel.

If all this weren't enough, Qolsys also released the upgraded IQ Panel 2 Plus System. There are three versions of the IQ Panel 2 Plus, with each boasting its own unique legacy daughtercard for supporting a different set of wireless sensors. There is a 319.5 MHz version (Qolsys and Interlogix/GE Sensors), a 345 MHz version (legacy Honeywell and 2GIG Sensors), and a 433 MHz version (legacy DSC sensors). Each IQ Panel 2 Plus also includes a PowerG daughtercard for supporting the extremely powerful and encrypted 915 MHz PowerG Sensors. Please note that the original IQ Panel 2 System can only support 319.5 MHz sensors, including the Qolsys S-Line Encrypted Sensors.

The one fault we can hang over the IQ Panel 2 is the lack of an Apple HomeKit integration. Users of iOS devices may be disappointed to know that they cannot use HomeKit to interact with the IQ Panel 2. However, we have seen that HomeKit has only been made available for a very select number of alarm systems. One of which is the Honeywell Lyric Controller, which offers a complete HomeKit integration. if being able to control your system through HomeKit is important to you, then you might want to go with the Lyric instead. Otherwise, it's extremely difficult to find a superior system to the IQ Panel 2 or IQ Panel 2 Plus. Qolsys has truly outdone themselves by releasing an exceptional security system.