Xiaomi ecological chain company Aqara has launched a pair of new HomeKit-enabled smart home hubs, the Aqara Hub M1S and the Aqara Hub M2 in the US. They are both available now, with the ability to pair additional accessories, and having support for the latest Zigbee wireless standard. When compared with the previous generation, the Hub M2 and M1S bring support for Zigbee 3.0 protocol, which ensures a faster, energy-efficient, and more stable connectivity.

The Aqara Hub M2 features a sleeker, complete all-black design with an ethernet port identical to other smart hubs available on the market, which is unlike the original hub you’ll see in the Aqara Smart Home System. In addition, the hub has support for Zigbee 3.0 connectivity to ensure faster response time with tremendous reliability, and it can presently accommodate up to 128 paired accessories.

Included on the M2 hub is an integrated IR blaster for smart controls on older devices like TVs, air conditioners, fireplaces, and many more. IR commands can be programmed by users through the Aqara Home app and incorporated in scenes or automation with different Aqara accessories. Note that the M2 hub now has support for all four HomeKit security alarm mode settings (Away, Home, Night, and Off), which allows it to act as a do-it-yourself (DIY) security system.

Meanwhile, the Aqara Hub M1S launched alongside the M2, is an upgraded version of the original Aqara Hub. It comes with Zigbee 3.0 connectivity and has support for up to 128 accessories, and still retains the original plug-in design together with the HomeKit security alarm functionality. In addition to the HomeKit, both the Aqara Hub M1S and M2 have compatibility with Google Home, Amazon’s Alexa, IFTTT, and many others.

The Aqara Hub M2 is priced at $57.99 but the price of the Hub M1S is not known at this time. Both products are listed on Amazon US but there is no indication of when they will be available.

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