Budget-friendly Smartwatch
Haylou RS5 Review: A Budget-friendly Smartwatch with Health Monitoring Features
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.
5 months ago
Colmi P71 Review: Affordable Smartwatch with Voice Call Feature
There was a time when smartwatches used to be very expensive. However, the Chinese smartwatch boom has significantly reduced the price while bringing in tons of value-for-money features. One such brand is the Shenzhen-based Colmi which recently launched its P71 smartwatch. Let’s take a look into the features of Colmi P71 and the unbeatable price it comes at.
Key Specifications of Colmi P71
Design and Build Quality
Colmi smartwatches are known for their inspirations drawn from Apple or pixel watches. But unlike other Chinese brands, Colmi doesn’t blatantly copy their design elements into smartwatches.
The P71 is specifically inspired by the standard Apple watch series. But a close look reveals that the sides are flat instead of curved ones found on the Apple watch. The rotating crown is also positioned slightly above the usual space on the right. The entire build of the smartwatch is also made of plastic unlike aluminum or stainless steel found on the Apple watch.
Coming to actual specifications, it features a 37.9 by 45.5 by 11.2 mm dimension. The length of the smartwatch including the strap comes in at around 220 mm. The strap connectors are conjoined below the smartwatch giving it a flush look from the outside. Overall, the design of the P71 looks sleek. For a smartwatch that’s priced around 10 dollars, there is no room to nitpick.
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The Display
The display is often a make-or-break factor in purchasing a basic-level smartwatch. Thankfully the display on the P71 is pretty standard. The 1.9-inch IPS LCD panel has a 240 by 286-pixel resolution. While the pixel count isn’t quite on par with other higher-end smartwatches, it produces decent results.
The colors look sharp with good details. It isn’t possible to make out the individual pixels unless one is closely looking at the display. The viewing angles on the P71 are also good unless it’s looked at from extreme angles. Then it shows slight flickering owing to the lower resolution. Another slight issue is that the display isn’t symmetrical.
There is a large chin at the bottom of the display which may deter the experience a bit. But again considering the price, these are excusable compromises.
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Performance, Connectivity, and Battery
The P71 is powered by RTL8763EWE with 270 KB RAM and 128 MB ROM. Smartwatch specs aren’t all that significant considering it's all about usability. Unlike smartphones, smartwatches do not slow down over time so the prime concern is, does it feel snappy out of the box?
Well, users would be pleased to know that the P71 performs well with its friendly UI and fast animations. In addition to all the standard features, there’s a heart rate monitor and pulse oximeter. But the thing about budget-friendly smartwatches is that the accuracy of these sensors is often questionable.
The pedometer was constantly counting 10-20 steps more. Sometimes it would start counting even while riding a car. Similarly, take the results of the pulse oximeter and the heart rate sensor with a pinch of salt. The smartwatch also has IP68 water resistance so a casual dip won’t do it any damage.
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But what sets the P71 apart? It’s the Bluetooth calling feature on the smartwatch. Users can remotely receive and call from the smartwatch. The voice call performance was decent considering the price.
As for the battery, there’s a 2-pin magnetic charger at the back that can top up the device in about 2 hours. Once fully charged, the 230 mAh lithium battery can easily last 5 to 7 days under heavy use. If you’re a casual user, then a charge every fortnight would suffice. Using the smartwatch with a smartphone would require the Pubu Wear app.
Price of Colmi P71 Smartwatch
The official price of the Colmi P71 smartwatch is around $16.95. That roughly amounts to 1,863 BDT (1 USD = 109.93 BDT). The smartphone is also unofficially available in Bangladesh at around the same price.
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Final Words
The Colmi P71 smartwatch brings almost all the standard features of a smartwatch at an affordable price point. The design, display, and battery are easily its strongest suit. The sensors could have been a bit more accurate but considering the price, it’s a hard bargain for that. Regardless, the Colmi P71 is still one of the best budget-friendly smartwatches to buy in 2024.
9 months ago