IQ Panel 5 vs IQ Panel 4: what actually changed.
The IQ Panel 5 modernizes the platform underneath. If you know the IQ Panel 4, this will look familiar: the same 7-inch screen, the same 128 zones, the same Alarm.com experience your customers are used to. What changed is the headroom. Storage, operating system, device ceilings, and legacy frequency handling.
| Feature | Current IQ Panel 5 Shipping now | Prior generation IQ Panel 4 Large installed base |
|---|---|---|
| Platform | ||
| OS / processor / storage | Android 14, Qualcomm Dragonwing quad-core SOM, 32GB | Android 9, Qualcomm Snapdragon 8-core SOM, 16GB |
| Panel camera | 13MP, 120°, PortraitView, fixed focus | 8MP, 120°, FlexTilt (manual adjust) |
| Radios & automation | ||
| RF architecture | PowerG+ built in on every panel; legacy RF via optional daughter card | PowerG plus model-dependent legacy RF (separate SKUs per frequency) |
| Z-Wave | 800-Series with Long Range, up to 167 devices | 700-Series, up to 137 devices |
| PowerG automation | Up to 100 devices (80 lights, 20 locks) | Not separately published |
| Bluetooth | BLE 5.0 | BLE 4.2 |
| Hardware | ||
| Power supply | 12V DC, 1000mA | 7V DC, 1000mA |
| Carried over from the IQ4 | ||
| Display, zones, partitions, battery | 7", 1280x800, 300 cd/m² · 128 zones / 4 partitions / 242 user codes · 3000mAh battery rated 24+ hrs | Identical |
Where the
headroom is.
The automation ceiling moved up with everything else, to 167 Z-Wave devices with Long Range and up to 100 PowerG devices. That headroom pays off hardest on new installs, older-panel upgrades, takeovers that benefit from the card flexibility, and larger automation projects.
Room on the shelf
Legacy frequencies are no longer their own panel SKU. They live on daughter cards now: 319.5, 345, or 433 MHz, whichever the job calls for. PowerG+ is not one of those cards, it is built into every panel, which leaves both slots free. Fewer SKUs on the shelf, more jobs you can take.
Room for updates
Android 9 to Android 14, and 16GB of storage to 32GB. Read that as service life and firmware runway. The panel has room to keep taking IQ updates for years instead of running out of storage or falling off a supported OS.
Room in the frame
PortraitView rotates the sensor so the camera captures a person head to toe instead of cropping faces depending on mount height. At the wall that means less fiddling with tilt, and disarm photos that come out usable without adjustment.
IQ Panel 4 to IQ Panel 5:
check these first.
Four things that will cost you a return trip if nobody checks them first.
Power
The IQ5 runs 12V DC, 1000mA. The IQ4 ran 7V. It is not a drop-in replacement, so evaluate the existing transformer and wire run before you commit to the swap.
Backplate
Redesigned to line up better with standard gang boxes than the IQ4 backplate did.
Tamper
The tamper switch moved. The new position cuts false tamper alerts caused by uneven walls or overtightened screws.
Stand
The IQ5 uses its own table stand, the IQ5ST. The IQ4 stand and the IQ Base arrangement do not carry over.
Three panels. One software.
Flagship when the customer wants the camera and glass break. Hub when they want the screen without the flagship price. NS when the panel is hidden and control lives in the app.
IQ Panel 5
The full box. 7-inch touchscreen, 13MP PortraitView camera, panel glass break and motion, two mics, two speakers, two-way voice. Spec it when the customer wants the camera and panel-side glass break.
- 13MP PortraitView panel camera
- Panel glass break and motion
- Two mics, two speakers
- Two-way voice
IQ5 Hub
The same 7-inch touchscreen and the same software interface at a lower price point. No panel camera, no panel glass break, one mic, one speaker, no two-way voice. Same processor, OS, PowerG+, and Z-Wave 800 as the flagship.
- Same 7-inch touchscreen and interface
- No panel camera or glass break
- One mic, one speaker
- Same processor, OS, PowerG+, Z-Wave 800
IQ5 NS
No screen at all. It mounts out of sight, gets configured through the IQ Installer app, and reports status with an LED: green disarmed, red armed. Built for closet and utility installs where control happens in the Alarm.com app, on an IQ Remote, or through a third-party automation system.
- Mounts out of sight
- Configured in the IQ Installer app
- LED status: green disarmed, red armed
- Control via app, IQ Remote, or third party
All three are stocked at SS&Si and share the same ceiling: LTE and Wi-Fi dual path, PowerG+ built in, Z-Wave 800 with Long Range, Bluetooth 5.0 and LE, a 24-hour lithium polymer backup battery, full Alarm.com integration, up to 242 user codes, 4 partitions, and both residential and commercial certifications. The 5 is the panel generation, not the cellular one. Cellular is still LTE CAT4.
IQ Panel 5 daughter cards.
Legacy RF, Ethernet, and Zigbee all live on daughter cards. One legacy RF card plus one expansion card per panel, which is how two SKUs on the shelf end up covering the territory.
| QC0001-840 | 319.5 MHz legacy RF card. Interlogix, GE, and Qolsys S-Line. | Shop |
| QC0005-840 | 345 MHz legacy RF card. Honeywell and 2GIG. | Shop |
| QC0004-840 | 433 MHz legacy RF card. Legacy DSC. | Shop |
| QC000B-840 | Ethernet card. Goes in the expansion slot. | Shop |
| QC000E-840 | Zigbee card. Goes in the expansion slot. | Shop |
| IQ5ST | Table stand. Fits all three panels. The SmartMount wall bracket is in the box. | Shop |
IQ Panel 5 FAQ
What installers ask before the first one goes on a wall.
Is the IQ Panel 5 a drop-in replacement for the IQ Panel 4?
No. The IQ Panel 5 runs on a 12V DC, 1000mA supply and the IQ Panel 4 ran 7V, so the existing transformer and wire run have to be evaluated before you swap one. The backplate was also redesigned to line up better with standard gang boxes, and the IQ4 table stand does not carry over.
What daughter cards does the IQ Panel 5 use?
Legacy RF comes on an optional daughter card: QC0001-840 for 319.5 MHz, QC0005-840 for 345 MHz, or QC0004-840 for 433 MHz. The second slot is an expansion slot that takes either the QC000B-840 Ethernet card or the QC000E-840 Zigbee card. PowerG+ is not a card, it is built into every IQ Panel 5.
Does the IQ Panel 5 work with 345 MHz Honeywell and 2GIG sensors?
With the QC0005-840 345 MHz daughter card installed, yes. Frequency match alone does not guarantee support though: check specific model numbers against the current supported sensor list before you quote a takeover, because not every 345 MHz device ever sold is on it.
Can one IQ Panel 5 support two legacy frequencies at once?
No. One legacy RF card per panel means one legacy frequency per panel. A building running a mix of 319.5 and 345 MHz sensors is a design conversation, not a card swap.
Is the IQ Panel 5 5G?
No. The 5 is the panel generation, not the cellular generation. Cellular is LTE CAT4, paired with Wi-Fi for dual path, and you pick Verizon or AT&T at the SKU level.
What is the difference between the IQ Panel 5, the IQ5 Hub, and the IQ5 NS?
The IQ Panel 5 is the flagship: 7-inch touchscreen, 13MP PortraitView camera, panel glass break and motion, two mics, two speakers, and two-way voice. The IQ5 Hub has the same screen and software but no panel camera, no panel glass break, one mic, one speaker, and no two-way voice. The IQ5 NS has no screen at all and is configured through the IQ Installer app. All three share the same processor, OS, PowerG+ radio, and Z-Wave 800.
Does the IQ Panel 5 use the same table stand as the IQ Panel 4?
No. The IQ Panel 5 uses its own stand, the IQ5ST, which fits all three panels in the lineup. The IQ4 stand and the IQ Base arrangement do not carry over. The SmartMount wall bracket ships in the box.
How many Z-Wave devices does the IQ Panel 5 support?
Up to 167 devices on Z-Wave 800-Series with Long Range, up from 137 on the IQ Panel 4's 700-Series radio. PowerG automation is published separately at up to 100 devices, made up of 80 lights and 20 locks.
Get your IQ5
questions answered.
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- Which panel fits the job
- Current stock and lead time
- Help matching legacy sensors to the right card
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