Haylou Solar review - a hidden smart wearable gem

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Introduction

Here's the quick version of what the Haylou Solar is - the Xiaomi Mi Band functionality with even better battery life, traditional watch styling and a big round display for around €20. Sounds intriguing? Read on then to see how well it all works.


The Haylou Solar uses an LCD rather than an OLED panel so an always-on display feature is out of the question, so even in that you have feature parity with the Mi Band. Also, despite what the name may lead you to believe there's no Solar charging of any sort here.

Haylou Solar (Haylou LS05) specs
Body: 45.3 x 11.4, 54g, 22mm. standard strap; IP68; Metal frame, metal button, plastic back
Display: 1.28" LCD, 240 x 240 pixels (no AOD watchface)
OS: Proprietary; Support for Android 4.4 and above, iOS 8.0 and above
Battery: 340mAh (30 days typical use, around 15 days with heart rate monitoring)
Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.0 + BLE
Misc: Ultra-low dynamic optical heart rate sensor, accelerometer
We realize that Haylou is hardly a household name, so we looked into it. The Haylou brand, which, just like it sounds is derived from the homonym of the English word "hello", is owned by Dongguan Liesheng Electronics Co., Ltd. The latter provides ODM solutions and also RnD, production and marketing capabilities for Bluetooth headsets and smart wearables.


As a startup, the company secured funding by Xiaomi and membership in the Xiaomi ecosystem. Currently, it is a bit hard to define the exact relationship between Xiaomi and Dongguan Liesheng Electronics, but it is known that the former is a major client of the latter. Hence, the similarities in features and UI between the Haylou Solar and Amazfit devices, like the GTR and T-Rex start to make sense, as well. Amazfit products come courtesy of the Huami subsidary - the guys behind the popular Xiaomi Mi Band family, but connections clearly run deep.

The good news is the traditional strong point of Amazfit products - battery life - has been carried over here to the Haylou Solar.

Design, materials and comfort

The Haylou Solar is hardly the best looking smartwatch, but as we established it's more of a rival to the smartbands and among those the classic "watch" aesthetic are still the minority. At its price point the Haylou Solar's metal body and overall feel really stand out. The metal case also adds a certain heft to the device that some might appreciate.


The decision to make the front glass flush with the metal bezel causes some anxiety. The official Haylou specs page does not mention any specific protective layer for the glass, which means scratches are likely to take away from its looks down the road.


The 1.28-inch LCD on the Haylou Solar looks perfectly fine indoors. Colors are vibrant and both text and UI elements are sharp, thanks to its 240 x 240-pixel resolution. Outdoor use sees it struggle to push the brightness high enough and you might have trouble reading it if you are sitting in the sun.

The top glass layer introduces some reflections and so does the small, but still present air gap between it and the actual panel. A fully-laminated solution would have helped things a bit, but that's hardly feasible at this price point.


There are four brightness levels that you have to toggle manually as there is no luminance sensor for auto brightness. You either have to learn to live with a dimmer outdoor experience, unpleasantly bright UI during the night or develop the habit to adjust the brightness, as needed.


Haylou Solar also punches above its category in terms of comfort. A slim profile makes for a snug fit against the wrist, limiting the risk of accidental bumps and snags. The Solar's plastic back side is relatively flat and remains comfortable even with a tighter strap position.


Speaking of the strap, it is a standard 22mm one that uses slightly bent, but otherwise sturdy studs. Replacing it with third-party options is a breeze and you have no shortage of options.

The factory silicon strap deserves praise beyond its st

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