Athom unveils Homey Portal smart home controller

Athom has unveiled the Homey Portal, a stationary smart home controller designed to provide physical, room-based access to automation without requiring a smartphone. The device features a 2.8-inch touchscreen surrounded by a rotating stainless steel ring, which allows users to adjust parameters such as light brightness, color temperature, and thermostat settings.

Operating on a zone-based logic, the controller can manage lighting (including Philips Hue and IKEA products), music playback (via systems like Sonos and Denon Heos), and heating (supporting Nest, Tado, and Honeywell). It also displays real-time and historical energy consumption data, integrating with tools like the Homey Energy Dongle, Shelly, and HomeWizard to help users navigate dynamic electricity pricing.

The Homey Portal is not a standalone hub; it requires an existing Homey ecosystem, such as Homey Pro, Homey Cloud, or a self-hosted server, to function. It includes features like customizable quick icons, automation routines, and live video feeds from doorbells. The device is available for pre-order with a launch price of 249 euros, rising to a recommended retail price of 299 euros.