A couple of months ago, Xiaomi Youpin launched the Haylou Solar Smartwatch. We have been keeping a close eye on the watch for the past few weeks and finally decided to get this for review. And to our surprise, the Haylou Solar turned out to be a pretty good smartwatch.

Before we go on to the review, let me clear one thing first: The Haylou Solar is NOT solar powered.

Haylou Solar Review: Design

First of all, the biggest question about the Haylou Solar is its pricing. It’s almost a fact now that all those smartwatches that retail under $50 are not really smart. Even in 2020, there are hardly any real smartwatches that we could recommend under $40. Not to mention these cheap watches have poor design too.

But that’s not applicable for the Haylou Solar.

At first glance, it’s really hard to believe that such good design could be seen on this $40 smartwatch. It follows the same minimalistic philosophy of Xiaomi’s design. The single button at the right side of the round watch dial did not confuse me at all. On the contrary, it always reminded me of the modern watches we’ve seen from popular watch brands.

The watch dial (22mm) sports a 1.28-inch TFT display with a resolution of 240 x 240px. Although it is not a high-end display, considering the pricing and the primary function of displaying information,  it turns out to be a solid screen with a superb 30-day standby. More importantly, it is so lightweight (54g band-included) that you almost feel you are wearing a Mi Band. And the band is made from silicon, which allows me to wear the watch for long periods of time, even during workouts without any discomfort.

Haylou Solar Review: Features

The Haylou Solar features 12 sport-mode guidance to help users get professional workout plans. The basic step detection is my favorite feature, as it could provide accurate step information with distance and calorie consumption. And to facilitate better health lifestyle, the watch has a built-in heart rate sensor that monitors heartbeat 24 hours. it detects any underlying heart issues and accordingly adjusts inside exercise recommendation.

In daily use, since I have no heart issues, there was no chance to experience any warnings or suggestions for my activities. But it’s really an interesting feature and potentially life-saving too.

workouts & steps

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In addition, like most other smartwatches, it supports sleep management and lets me know what’s going during the night. But of course, you’ll have to wear it through the night which might be uncomfortable for some users.

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Haylou Solar Review: Battery life

As we mentioned, it features 30-day standby power. In reality, the battery life is good enough for a few weeks. Honestly, I have not charged it since I topped it up to 100% a few weeks ago. Although it doesn’t provide Wi-Fi connection, so far, the Haylou Solar is the first watch giving me the same comfort as wearing a traditional watch: no need to worry about the battery endurance and connectivity issues. But pay attention here, when I activated 24H heart monitoring, the battery consumption was obviously larger. A full-charge could last around 15-days with the 24H HR monitoring feature turned on.

Despite lacking Wi-Fi, the Haylou Solar comes with Bluetooth which allows users to synchronize smartphone notifications to the watch. And if you are carrying an iPhone, the official app is able to synchronize the Apple Health data as well. The watch also supports basic music player controls which can come in handy during exercise.

Note that that watch doesn’t support app-download and installation. However, I’m sure there are people like me that don’t really want an extra smart watch that aims to replace your smartphone. After all, simple design and software are its specialty.

Haylou Solar Review: IP68 Waterproof

The Haylou Solar is IP68 water and dustproof. It is resistant to sweat and rain and allows me to wear it all the time in most of my daily activities. But according to the watch team, it is not suggested to expose it to activities like swimming or diving.

Other features like Breathing training, find my phone, timer/stopwatch, or weather forecast were also helpful. With these features, the Haylou Solar is definitely a smart choice to get your money worth.

Haylou Solar Review: Conclusion

I will probably keep wearing the Haylou Solar for a long period. Not just because it provides the most necessary features as a convenient wearable but also for its design. Especially for those who are looking for their first smartwatch, you simply can’t go wrong buying this watch for $40!

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Haylou (pronounced as “Hello”) is one of the first companies under Xiaomi’s ecosystem. Established in 2015, the company was originally known for its audio products including TWS earbuds. However, it wasn’t really popular until it announced its very first “smartwatch” – the Haylou LS01 – which costs just ¥99 (~$14). The Chinese company is back with another smartwatch called the Haylou Solar and this too packs some really nice features matched with an affordable price tag.

The Haylou Solar has a round dial like a regular watch and Haylou says they have adopted a minimalist design that appeals to the younger generation. The screen is a 1.28 TFT color 240 x 240 display that is sharp and bright even under direct sunlight. It is surrounded by a metal frame and attached to it are 22mm silicone breathable straps that can be comfortably worn for long.

The Haylou Solar can track a total of 12 different physical activities:

• Outdoor running
• Walking
• Mountain Climbing
• Cycling
• Elliptical training
• Yoga
• Treadmill running
• Free training
• Gymnastics
• Basketball
• Soccer
• Rowing

The watch also has sleep tracking, a pedometer, a calorie counter, and a heart rate sensor for 24-hour heart rate monitoring. There is also a sedentary reminder, a stopwatch, a phone finder, support for music playback, weather alerts, breathing training, and support for app notification alerts.

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The Haylou Solar has a 30-day battery life (340mAh) but it drops by half if 24-hour heart rate monitoring is turned on. While it is called the Haylou Solar, it doesn’t charge via solar but has charging pins at the back. The watch also has an IP68 rating which means you can take it swimming or wear it in the shower.

The Haylou Solar connects via Bluetooth 5.0 and there is a dedicated app called the Haylou Fit for setting up the watch and for more detailed info on your physical activities. It works with both Android (Android 4.4+) and iOS (iOS 8.0+) devices. The watch is 264 millimeters long and weighs 54 grams.

Just like the LSO1, the Haylou Solar (LS05) is really affordable with its price tag of ¥149 (~$21). It has crossed its crowdfunding goal and will begin shipping May 18, 2020.

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