Chinese company Haylou is renowned for manufacturing budget-friendly smartwatches. Haylou released its latest smartwatch RS5, on 27 February 2024 in China. Though being a lookalike of its ancestor RS4, the RS5 sets the difference with its features. Let’s dive deep into the features of the Haylou RS5.
Key Features and Specs of Haylou RS5 Smartwatch
Design
If you're familiar with the RS4, you'll find the Haylou RS5's design very similar. It features a rectangular case with a flat display on top and a crown on the side for navigating the operating system. Users will get over 150 fully customisable watch faces.
Despite its price, the smartwatch doesn't have an all-plastic build. Haylou opted for an aircraft-grade metal frame, making it quite sturdy. However, the bottom panel is made of plastic. Within the frame, there are two speaker openings on the left side and a microphone hole on the right side, next to the crown.
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The crown on the RS5 is not as smooth as the one on the S8, requiring a bit more force to move. You can use the crown to enable the menu and scroll through options, but you still need to tap on the display to enter specific sections.
On the rear panel, there's a circular bump housing the heart rate sensor area. Two magnetic pins for charging are located a bit above it. Surprisingly, the charging cable from the S8 is the same as the one for the RS5, but they're not interchangeable.
The RS5 comes with soft silicone straps with a universal locking mechanism, making them easy to replace. Additionally, a green textile strap with Velcro is included in the package. It may offer a better fit for some, although it's a matter of personal preference.
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The smartwatch's IP68 waterproof rating makes it adaptable to different environments. So users won’t have to worry about drenching in the rain or diving in a pool.
Display
The Haylou RS5 features a 2.01-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 410×502 pixels, similar to that on the S8 and Solar Plus models.
The display offers deep blacks and clean whites, but the resolution is uncertain because the text appeared crisper on the S8. Despite this, the display can reach very high brightness levels, ensuring visibility even in bright outdoor conditions, though this can impact battery life.
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The Always on Display (AoD) feature, a new addition for Haylou, presents the time and date elegantly, with an option for an analogue look. It seems the display only activates necessary pixels, which helps conserve battery.
Regarding the refresh rate, while 60Hz is standard for many devices, it's not common among entry-level smartwatches. Its inclusion is appreciated, but the hardware may struggle to keep up, leading to slightly less smooth navigation within the operating system.
Performance, Hardware and Connectivity
The Haylou RS5 smartwatch features 16MB of flash memory and 304kB of MCU (RAM). Details about the SoC are still unknown.
Haylou has confirmed support for Bluetooth 5.2 in RS5. This means the smartwatch communicates with the smartphone, including Bluetooth calls, within a range of about 30 feet, accounting for typical home interference like walls. It's worth noting that the HAYLOU Watch S8 Smartwatch employs Bluetooth 5.3, although this doesn't alter bandwidth or coverage significantly.
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The watch features a full set of health monitoring functionalities. Using the Haylou RS5 smartwatch, users can check their heart rate, breathing, blood oxygen, stress level, different sleeping stages, and REM stage. Female users will enjoy a few exclusive features for female health care.
