A rotary dial, a touch screen, and a full sensor panel walk into a USB hub—and the result is the most versatile desktop companion for Windows power users. Innoelement’s HALO TOUCH V2, announced on July 3, 2026, is the latest creation from the Chinese hardware innovator, combining a 3.5-inch IPS touch display, a physical rotation knob, three USB 2.0 ports, dual microSD slots, and Fast Ethernet into a single aluminum-bodied device. Designed and manufactured in Guangzhou, the HALO TOUCH V2 targets enthusiasts who want real-time system monitoring, quick access to creative controls, and expanded connectivity without cluttering their desk.
A Hub That Does More Than Connect
Most USB hubs sit quietly in the corner, minding their own business. The HALO TOUCH V2 demands attention. Its 3.5-inch IPS touch screen, running at 480x800 resolution, acts as a live sensor panel for temperatures, fan speeds, clock speeds, and network throughput, all pulled directly from your Windows PC via AIDA64 or compatible monitoring software. But unlike static sensor displays that merely show readouts, this one lets you interact. Tap to switch between monitoring pages, swipe to adjust fan curves, or long-press to launch applications—all from the hub itself.
The display is bonded to a sturdy aluminum frame that angles slightly toward the user, making it readable during long work sessions. A 3D-printed enclosure option is available for those who prefer a custom look, but the standard silver housing carries a premium feel that matches high-end mechanical keyboards and mice. Backlighting is absent, keeping the design stealthy, though the IPS panel’s brightness is sufficient for most indoor environments.
Twist to Control: The Rotary Dial Reimagined
Microsoft’s Surface Dial sparked a niche for physical rotation knobs on Windows, but adoption stalled due to limited software integration and a sky-high price. Innoelement’s dial—placed on the right side of the hub—works as a generic HID rotary device, so any application that can listen for scroll events or custom keystrokes can be controlled by twisting. In apps like Adobe Lightroom, you can spin through brush sizes, scrub timelines in Premiere Pro, or adjust volume in media players. The dial also clicks, acting as a press-and-rotate button, which opens up even more shortcuts.
What makes the HALO TOUCH V2 stand out is the tight coupling between the dial and the touch screen. When you rotate, the on-screen UI updates instantly, showing numeric values, slider positions, or switching between tool palettes. Innoelement has preloaded several templates that mimic the Surface Dial’s radial menu, but with the added benefit of visual feedback right on the hub. The dial’s resolution is 24 steps per revolution, providing tactile feedback similar to high-end audio knobs, and it’s customizable through an open-source configuration utility that the company plans to release alongside the hardware.
Ports That Keep You Plugged In
Connectivity is the hub’s backbone. The HALO TOUCH V2 offers three downstream USB 2.0 Type-A ports, each delivering up to 500 mA. While USB 2.0 may sound dated in an age of Thunderbolt 4, Innoelement made a deliberate choice: the lower bandwidth avoids interference with wireless dongles and ensures compatibility with a wide range of peripherals—keyboards, mice, DACs, and low-power sensors. For storage, you get two microSD card slots that can operate simultaneously; one is likely connected via the internal USB bus, while the other may use the hub’s dedicated card reader chip. Both support high-speed UHS-I transfers, making them handy for photographers who need to offload footage without crawling behind the PC.
Network connectivity comes from a Realtek RTL8152-based Fast Ethernet port, capped at 100 Mbps. That’s enough for a reliable wired link when Wi-Fi is flaky, or for connecting to a secondary machine for remote management. The upstream connection is USB 2.0 Type-B, which supplies both data and power to the entire hub. A DC barrel jack allows for external power if your connected devices exceed the 500 mA budget, though most setups will run fine on bus power alone.
AIDA64 Sensor Panel: Your System’s Dashboard
Perhaps the biggest draw for Windows enthusiasts is the integrated sensor panel. Using AIDA64’s external LCD support, you can design a custom monitoring dashboard that displays CPU and GPU temperatures, clock speeds, memory usage, fan RPMs, network download/upload speeds, and more. The HALO TOUCH V2 is recognized as a generic LCD device on the USB bus, so it works out of the box with AIDA64’s SensorPanel feature—no drivers needed. Simply download the AIDA64 configuration file from Innoelement’s website, upload your custom template, and the touch screen becomes a live telemetry hub.
Several community-created templates are already circulating, ranging from minimalist text-based layouts to elaborate gauges with historical graphs. Because the screen is touch-enabled, you can swipe between different pages: one for temperatures, another for networking, a third for storage health. The 480x800 resolution may seem cramped, but the IPS panel’s deep blacks and wide viewing angles make the data easily readable at a glance. And unlike a dedicated sensor panel that requires a second monitor or small LCD running off a GPU, the HALO TOUCH V2 offloads the rendering entirely to the CPU via USB, freeing up graphics resources for your actual work.
Innoelement has also committed to open-sourcing the protocol used to drive the display, so third-party developers can integrate it with tools like HWMonitor, HWiNFO, or Rainmeter. This flexibility ensures the hub remains useful even if you outgrow AIDA64 or prefer a different monitoring stack.
USB Power Monitoring: Know What Your Gear Draws
A standout feature rarely seen in desktop hubs is the real-time USB power meter. The HALO TOUCH V2 can measure the voltage and current on its downstream ports, displaying the information either on the touch screen or in the companion Windows app. This is a godsend for tinkerers who want to monitor how much power their peripherals consume, diagnose unstable USB devices, or simply geek out over the milliamps their RGB keyboard pulls. The meter updates several times per second and can log data for later analysis.
During testing, early units accurately tracked the charging current of a phone plugged into one of the Type-A ports, showing a gradual drop from 500 mA to 100 mA as the battery filled. For anyone using the hub with a Raspberry Pi or other single-board computer powered over USB, this feature removes the guesswork and can even alert you if a device tries to draw more power than the port can deliver.
Software and Windows Integration
No drivers are required for basic functionality: the touch screen shows up as an HID-compliant touch device, the rotary dial as an HID wheel, and the card readers and Ethernet adapter as standard class-compliant devices. This means plug-and-play in Windows 10, Windows 11, and even Linux. The sensor panel mode uses AIDA64’s built-in support, so no additional software is strictly needed.
However, Innoelement offers an optional configuration utility—currently in beta—that lets you assign custom macros to dial rotations, set screen brightness, update firmware, and manage the USB power monitoring alerts. The utility is lightweight, using less than 50 MB of RAM when running, and can minimize to the system tray. It also enables a “screensaver” mode that cycles through your favorite photos when the PC is idle, turning the hub into a digital picture frame.
Microsoft’s Surface Dial integration in Windows 10 and 11 has been lackluster, but the HALO TOUCH V2 bypasses the proprietary stack entirely. Because it presents itself as a generic HID device, it works with any software that recognizes mouse wheel events or keyboard shortcuts. Tools like AutoHotkey can extend the dial’s reach even further, allowing you to script complex actions—like rotating through virtual desktops, zooming in CAD applications, or scrubbing through a video timeline with frame-level precision.
Who Needs This?
Creative professionals will be the first to snatch up the HALO TOUCH V2. Video editors who constantly adjust clip volume or timeline position can keep their eyes on the screen while their hand intuitively twists the dial. Photographers can assign the dial to brush sizes in Photoshop or Lightroom, while the touch screen shows a thumbnail preview of the current tool. Music producers can map the dial to mixer faders or effect parameters, using the display to show dB levels or plugin settings.
PC builders and overclockers get an elegant way to monitor system vitals without sacrificing a monitor’s real estate or buying a dedicated sensor panel. The hub’s compact footprint—roughly the size of a deck of cards—sits perfectly under a monitor riser or on a desk shelf, always within arm’s reach. Streamers can use the touch screen to launch scenes or mute channels, while the rotary dial controls microphone gain or stream transitions.
Even home office workers can benefit. The USB ports keep everyday peripherals connected, the Ethernet port provides a stable network link for video calls, and the dial can be set to control Spotify playback or system volume. The power meter might seem esoteric, but anyone who has dealt with finicky external hard drives will appreciate the ability to see if a port is supplying enough juice.
Pricing, Availability, and Competition
Innoelement has not yet announced official pricing for the HALO TOUCH V2, but the company’s previous products suggest a target around $79–$99 USD. This pits it against standalone sensor panels like the RasPad and traditional USB hubs with display ports, but the combination of display, dial, and hub in one device is unique. The Surface Dial, which offers only a rotation knob, still costs $99 on its own—and lacks any screen. Generic Arduino-based sensor panels require tinkering and separate power supplies. The HALO TOUCH V2 simplifies the whole setup into a single cable.
Shipping is expected to begin in Q3 2026 through Innoelement’s website and select retailers. Early buyers will receive a pre-loaded microSD card in one of the hub’s slots, containing sample AIDA64 templates and the configuration utility. The company is also working on a Discord channel where users can share templates and macros, fostering a community around the device.
The Verdict So Far
The HALO TOUCH V2 isn’t just a USB hub with a screen tacked on—it’s a thoughtfully integrated command center for Windows desktops. By combining features usually spread across multiple devices, Innoelement has created a gadget that feels genuinely useful rather than gimmicky. The AIDA64 sensor panel integration is seamless, the rotary dial works everywhere without proprietary drivers, and the build quality looks set to match the price tag.
Windows enthusiasts who have been waiting for a worthy successor to the Surface Dial, or a sensor panel that doesn’t demand a degree in microcontrollers, now have a compelling option. If Innoelement delivers on its open-source promises and the community rallies around the platform, the HALO TOUCH V2 could become a staple on desks everywhere—especially as more applications embrace creative input devices. For now, it’s a glimpse into a future where little boxes of aluminum can do as much as entire control surfaces, and that’s a twist worth taking.