Homey Portal brings a tactile dial to smart home control
Homey, LG's smart home platform, unveiled the Portal, a touchscreen controller with a stainless steel dial for adjusting lights, climate, and music. Priced at $249, the device can be desk- or wall-mounted and is powered via USB-C. Preorders opened today with shipping expected in December.
The Portal's 2.8-inch round display pairs touch controls with a physical stainless steel dial, allowing users to adjust brightness, volume, or temperature through a single rotating motion. It arrives as part of Homey's broader ecosystem, which claims compatibility with more than 70,000 devices across 2,000 brands, including Matter, Zigbee, Z-Wave, and Thread protocols. The device was unveiled at IFA 2026, with CEO Stefan Witkamp emphasizing a return to simple, physical interaction over app-based management. Homey, now under LG's ownership, positions the Portal as a more focused alternative to general-purpose smart displays like the Echo Show or Nest Hub, with both desk and wall mounting options included.
This device could meaningfully reduce friction for households juggling multiple smart home apps and voice assistants, offering a single tactile point of control. If it delivers on its interoperability promises, it may appeal to users frustrated by fragmented ecosystems, though the $249 price could limit adoption to tech enthusiasts. Its success might signal whether physical controls can coexist with app-first smart home design.