I'm a smart home expert and this is the coolest gadget I've seen in a while

As someone who reviews smart home gadgets daily, I often feel like I've seen it all. From comparing the best smart locks and the best smart lights to assessing how seamlessly they integrate into various ecosystems, not much surprises me anymore...or so I thought. This morning, Aqara proved me wrong.

Following the launch of its new Matter-compatible smart home hub, Aqara has launched its Touchscreen Dial V1 in Europe – a sophisticated and innovative addition to the smart home market. This device uniquely combines a rotary dial with a touchscreen, enabling users to control multiple connected devices either individually or simultaneously.

Whilst touchscreen smart hubs are common, and dials switches typically rely on buttons, Aqara's combination of a dial and touchscreen is a versatile mix. I personally think it's one of the sleekest smart home gadgets we've seen in a while – and even better – it has a satisfyingly premium feel without the price tag to match.

The Touchscreen Dial V1 features a rotary dial with haptic feedback and a 1.32-inch LCD screen, allowing users to control connected smart home devices either individually or as part of customisable scenes. It includes two wired switches and six additional wireless switches, and its Matter and Zigbee support makes it compatible with a wide range of third-party smart home platforms.

An integrated presence sensor ensures the screen wakes automatically when you approach, and the display also provides insights into your smart home energy consumption. Users can also personalise the screensaver to display information such as the weather, time or temperature – a pretty cool feature that feels reminiscent of a dedicated smart home hub.

The Aqara Touchscreen Dial V1 has an RRP of £149.99/€149.99 and it can be purchased directly from the Aqara online store or Amazon. Its US availability is yet to be announced.