At the end of June, HAYLOU announced an addition to its Solar smartwatch lineup with the introduction of the HAYLOU Solar Neo. This model features both basic functionality and additional perks. For instance, the Solar Neo allows you to take calls via Bluetooth, control music and the camera on your smartphone, has 127 popular workout modes, measures stress levels, and can remind you to drink a glass of water or take medication. All of this comes at a very affordable price. However, there are some nuances to consider. Let’s take a closer look at what the HAYLOU Solar Neo offers and who it might appeal to.
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Specifications
- Display: 1.53″, TFT, 360×360, touchscreen
- Wireless module: Bluetooth 5.3
- Sensors: pedometer, heart rate monitor, pulse oximeter
- Battery: 300 mAh
- Autonomy: up to 30 days
- Case materials: plastic
- Strap: removable silicone, width 22 mm
- Dimensions: 48.4×48.4×11.5 mm
- Weight: 48 g (with strap)
- Additional: IP68, 127 workout modes, Bluetooth call reception
Price
Currently, the HAYLOU Solar Neo is not available for sale in Ukraine, but it can be purchased from the brand’s store on AliExpress. At the time of writing this review, considering the discounts, the smartwatch is priced around $30 or €29. This makes the Solar Neo just as affordable as other gadgets from the company. Let’s take a closer look at what makes it interesting.
Package contents
The HAYLOU Solar Neo comes with a modest but essential set of accessories: the watch with a strap, a USB-A cable with a magnetic connector for charging, and an instruction manual. Nothing unnecessary.
What HAYLOU Solar Neo can do
Modern affordable wrist gadgets can do almost everything that more premium models can, and the HAYLOU Solar Neo is no exception. Its functionality is likely to satisfy most users. It can display messages and app notifications, track physical activity (steps, distance, calories burned), monitor sleep quality, measure heart rate, blood oxygen levels, and blood pressure, and even track the female cycle. Additionally, it has an alarm clock, calculator, calendar, weather display, a “breathing coach” for exercises, music and camera control on your smartphone, a timer, a “find my phone” feature, and a “flashlight” function where the screen lights up white. You can also add selected contacts to a speed dial list, enable reminders to stretch, drink water, or take medication, and set the watch to automatically lock when removed from the wrist.
With the Solar Neo, you can also answer calls. The call is transmitted via Bluetooth, and the built-in speaker and microphone facilitate communication between the parties. By the way, the device handles the call mode quite well – it doesn’t offer perfect, but still decent voice clarity on both ends. If your hands are dirty and you need to quickly answer a call, the Solar Neo will get the job done.
It also offers a bunch of watch faces and the ability to create your own, flexible interface settings, and 127 sports modes, from running and walking to horseback riding and Zumba. The selection is quite extensive, so everyone is likely to find their preferred activity. It’s worth noting that water sports are not among them. This is likely because the device cannot be submerged in water, according to the manufacturer’s official website. Washing hands or getting caught in the rain won’t be an issue for the watch, but showering or swimming is a no-go. This raises questions since the official website mentions that the HAYLOU Solar Neo has an IP68 rating. This rating typically allows for submersion up to 1.5 meters for 30 minutes. So, it’s a case of “Schrödinger’s water resistance” – it both is and isn’t water-resistant. Keep this in mind if you’re looking for a device to swim with.
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Design and materials
The HAYLOU Solar Neo looks like a standard wristwatch, which will likely appeal to most users. However, with dimensions of 48.4×48.4×11.5 mm, it seems a bit too large for women, in my opinion. On a man’s wrist, though, I think it will look quite fitting.
The device is available in two colors – black and a sophisticated gray. The reviewed model is the gray one, and it likely looks more interesting than the black version. The case is made from high-quality matte plastic. The bezel is also plastic and purely decorative. It features markings on four sides and labels near the buttons – “Power” and “Sport.” By the way, a pleasant bonus of the plastic case is its weight. The Solar Neo weighs just 48 grams, including the strap, making it feel very light, almost weightless.
On the right side of the case, there are two functional buttons. Just below, between the buttons, you can see a hole for the microphone. On the opposite side, there is a dual speaker grille for calls.
On the back, the central area features the optical heart rate sensor. You can also see the brand name, technical markings, and a couple of metal contacts for charging.
The strap is made from dense silicone. It’s both soft and resilient, which helps it retain its shape well. The bracelet has a standard 22 mm attachment, so you can replace it with any other strap. The clasp is metal, and there are two keepers to tuck away any excess length. There are plenty of holes, so finding the right fit for your wrist won’t be an issue. The build quality and materials are impeccable for the price, though nothing top-notch in terms of materials or design. Still, the gray color gives it an interesting and distinctive look. It might not suit a formal suit, but it will fit well with casual or sporty styles.
HAYLOU Solar Neo display
The HAYLOU Solar Neo features a 1.53-inch TFT display with a resolution of 360×360. It’s a bit surprising that it’s not an OLED screen, as some of the brand’s models with a similar price point come with OLED displays. However, the quality of this display is excellent. The colors are vibrant, viewing angles are wide, and the brightness is more than sufficient. Additionally, you can adjust the brightness with four available levels. Text is read clearly from the screen, and the icons look good – individual pixels aren’t visible, thanks to the high resolution.
Another advantage is its size. At 1.53 inches, it’s quite large for a wrist gadget, allowing for a lot of information to fit on the screen. Additionally, the screen is quite responsive and not deeply recessed due to the presence of the bezel (it doesn’t rise too much above the display), so it accurately registers gestures and is user-friendly. Therefore, there’s no need to worry about the TFT display – the Solar Neo’s screen won’t disappoint.
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Interface and control
Communication with the HAYLOU Solar Neo doesn’t offer anything particularly surprising. It’s similar not only to other devices from the brand but also to most wrist gadgets in general. Most often, you’ll be using the touch screen for navigation. Let’s take a look at how everything is set up here.
The first screen, as usual, is the watch face. It can be either informative or decorative, showing only the time. There are numerous options available in the app, so you can choose or create one to your liking.
Following that is the physical activity analysis screen with a visual scale. Here, you can see the number of steps, distance, and calories burned. Next is the heart rate monitor screen, followed by weather, sleep tracker, music control, pulse oximeter, calendar, breathing exercises, blood pressure monitor, and settings menu. You can remove unnecessary items if they’re not relevant. The final screen displays the general menu with both main and additional functions. It duplicates the previous items but also includes workout data, phone functions, a female calendar, alarm clock, calculator, camera control, and more. Additionally, you can scroll through the menu in both directions – it’s looped, so it’s easier to navigate from the end to the beginning.
Swiping down opens the settings panel. Here, you can adjust the brightness and speaker volume, enable “Do Not Disturb” mode, check the smartphone connection status, set alarms, find your phone, activate power-saving mode, and access watch settings (such as theme, menu display, vibration strength, language, etc.). Swiping up opens the notifications panel.
The HAYLOU Solar Neo also has two physical buttons. The upper Power button opens the main menu and serves as a “Home” button to return to the main screen. It also rotates, making it convenient for scrolling through notifications, menu items, or watch faces. The lower Sport button provides quick access to workout modes, which are organized by type and can be added or removed from quick access. Overall, the system is user-friendly and logical, with a complete (though occasionally imperfect) Ukrainian translation.
HAYLOU Fun app
The companion app for the HAYLOU Solar Neo is HAYLOU Fun, which is available for both Android smartphones and iPhones. It’s convenient that the manual includes a QR code for quick installation from the app store.
HAYLOU Fun has a rather streamlined appearance but still expands the device’s capabilities. The first tab, “Home,” shows the connection status and collects data on daily activity, workouts, and sleep. It also includes separate panels for steps, calories, heart rate, stress level, blood oxygen, weight, and the female cycle. What’s particularly convenient is that you can remove unnecessary widgets from the main screen.
The “Sport” tab is useful for outdoor workouts. Since the HAYLOU Solar Neo doesn’t have built-in GPS, it uses your smartphone’s navigation for tracking. The final section is the menu for account and device settings. Here, you can set goals for steps, calories burned, or distance, adjust app permissions, update the software, and more.
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Battery life
The smartwatch has a 300 mAh battery. According to the manufacturer, it should last up to 30 days in standby mode or up to 7 days with regular daily use. Based on my calculations, you can expect around 5-6 days of battery life. On average, the HAYLOU Solar Neo lost about 13-17% of its charge per day with typical use (without continuous heart rate or stress monitoring). Overall, this is quite good. Charging the watch 1-2 times a week is not a problem, in my opinion.
Conclusions and competitors
Overall, the HAYLOU Solar Neo is a pretty good investment at $30 if you’re looking for a functional device without extra frills. It does everything most of us need – it tracks your daily activity, acts as a workout companion, and ensures you don’t miss important messages or calls. The device offers pleasant software with many settings and watch faces, a user-friendly app, a removable strap, a nice large screen, and decent battery life. However, it does have its drawbacks – the water resistance, though advertised, remains questionable. If water resistance is a priority for you, it might be better to spend a bit more on a device that can handle not just washing hands or getting caught in the rain. Nevertheless, if you want something functional and affordable, you can confidently choose the Solar Neo.
The Mi Band 8 could indeed compete with the HAYLOU Solar Neo. While it has a different format, its functionality is quite similar, except it doesn’t handle calls. However, it does offer swimming capability with 5 ATM water resistance, an AMOLED screen, a metal case, and weighs only 27 grams.
The HAYLOU RT3 from last year is another option at the price of the Solar Neo. It offers a metal case, a more premium design, and an AMOLED screen with high resolution. However, it also has the same water resistance issue as the Solar Neo, with the manufacturer advising against using it while showering.
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