To meet the requirements from 5G network, Netgear presented a new mobile WiFi hotspot Nighthawk M2 for the Australian network provider Telstra and carriers in Europe. Netgear Nighthawk M2 is an ultra-fast portable WiFi router with next-generation Gigabit 4G LTE connectivity with a download speed of up to 2 Gbps. The Netgear Nighthawk M2 5G router is upgraded from the predecessor Nighthawk M1, so you may ask what’s the difference between Netgear Nighthawk M2 and M1?
In the table below, you will see the details specs of Netgear Nighthawk M2 unlocked and Nighthawk M1 unlocked for your reference:
| Model | Netgear Nighthawk M2 | Netgear Nighthawk M1 |
| Product type | 5G Mobile Hotspot | 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot |
| Category | LTE Cat.20 | LTE Cat.16 |
| Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon X24 | Qualcomm MDM9x50 |
| Data rates | DL 2Gbps/UL 150Mbps | DL 1Gbps/UL 100Mbps |
| Supported 4G LTE frequency bands | — Telstra Nighthawk M2 MR2100-1TLAUS: Band 1/3/7/8/28 — Nighthawk M2 MR2100-100EUS: Band 1/3/7/8/20/28/38/40/41 — Hong Kong Nighthawk M2: LTE Band 1/3/8/20/29/30/38/40/41 | — Telstra Nighthawk M1: Band 1/3/7/8/28 — AT&T Nighthawk M1: Band 1/2/3/4/5/7/12/29/30/66 — Hong Kong Nighthawk M1: LTE Band 1/3/8/20/29/30/38/40/41 |
| WLAN | 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band 2.4GHz & 5GHz | 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band 2.4GHz & 5GHz |
| Max support users | 20 users | 20 users |
| MIMO | 4 X 4 MIMO | 4 X 4 MIMO |
| Connector for external antenna | Two, TS-9 jacks | Two, TS-9 jacks |
| Buy Antenna | Netgear Nighthawk M2 Antenna | Netgear Nighthawk M1 Antenna |
| App management | Netgear Aircard APP | Netgear Aircard APP |
| SIM type | Micro SIM | Micro SIM |
| Battery | Removable, 5040 mAh | Removable, 5040 mAh |
| Dimensions | 105.5 x 105.5 x 20.35 mm | 105.5 x 105.5 x 20.35 mm |
| Ethernet Port | * One port for LAN port(RJ-45) * One port of USB-A * One port of USB-C | * One port for LAN port(RJ-45) * One port for USB 2.0 |
| Datasheet download | Netgear Nighthawk M2 Datasheet | Netgear Nighthawk M1 Datasheet |
| User Manual | Netgear Nighthawk M2 Manual | Netgear Nighthawk M1 Manual |
| Other features | 3GPP, Rel. 14, 5 band CA, 256QAM DL / 64QAM UL, JumpBoost | 3GPP, Rel. 12, 4 band CA, 256QAM DL / 64QAM UL, JumpBoost |
| Firmware download | Nighthawk M2 Firmware | Nighthawk M1 Firmware |
| Drivers | Nighthawk M2 Driver | Nighthawk M1 Driver |
| Reviews | Netgear Nighthawk M2 Review | Netgear Nighthawk M1 Review |
| Price | 999.00USD | 459.00USD |
Here you can check the general comparison of Nighthawk M2 and M1:
Nighthawk M2 Mobile Router (MR2100):
– LTE CAT 20, DL support up to 2Gbps speeds – 3GPP, Rel. 14
– 5CA with 20 simultaneous Downlink layers
– 4×4 MIMO
– 256QAM DL / 64QAM UL CA 3C, 7C
– 11ac Dual band dual concurrent
Nighthawk M1 Mobile Router (MR1100):
– LTE CAT 16, DL support up to 1Gbps speeds – 3GPP, Rel. 12
– 4CA with 10 simultaneous Downlink layers
– 4×4 MIMO
– 256QAM DL / 64QAM UL CA 3C, 7C
– 11ac Dual band dual concurrent
We can see that, based on the technology improvement, Netgear Nighthawk M2 is more advanced than M1, M2 can achieve download speed up to 2Gbps while M1 only half of it. And the Nighthawk M2 has larger touch screen to 2.4 inches. Other features are very similar.