Haylou RT LS05S

The Haylou RT LS05S is a sports focused smartwatch released in March 2021. Haylou is a brand trademarked by the Chines company Dongguan Liesheng Electronic. Apparently Haylou is one of many Xiaomi backed companies but this is not a Xiaomi product. The RT LS05S appears nearly the same as the popular Solar LS05 but in a different case. We actually prefer the more minimalist look of the original Solar.

While Haylou does not disclose the processor for this watch, we suspect the RT LS05S is using the same Realtek RTL8762C processor as the Haylou Solar LS05. This processor is found in many low end smartwatches in the $30 to $50 range. It performs OK given the pricepoint even though it is not the smoothest operating watch.

The watch is using a proprietary operating system. There are only a limited number of apps on the watch and no app store is available to add any additional apps. What you see, is what you get for apps on this smartwatch.

Design

The RT LS05S has a circular watch face and while not a bad looking watch, it does not have a premium design. Unlike the original Solar which is available in numerous colors, the RT LS05S is only available in black. The case is plastic but build quality is good for this low pricepoint. This smartwatch is medium sized at 45.5 Χ 45.5 Χ 12.4 mm and weighs 54g. The 12.4 mm thickness is on the larger size and could be uncomfortable for some to wear while sleeping.

The RT LS05S comes with a 22mm silicone interchangeable strap. The strap is comfortable and quality is acceptable as well.

The RT LS05S You can interact with the watch using the touchscreen and 2 physical buttons. The touchscreen works fine but the watch does not have the smoothest scrolling. The watch has a IP68 water resistance rating which could allow hand washing and some splashing. Showers could be risky and swimming should be avoided. Note there is no swimming mode in the sports function for this watch.

Screen

The RT LS05S comes with a 1.28″ TFT Touchscreen packing 240 x 240 pixels. This screen is average at best. Colors are not as good as an AMOLED screen and you can see some pixelation in the text. Indoors the display is fine while outdoors in sunlight is not that great.

Haylou does not indicate what screen protection is provided and we expect protection to be limited. That being said given the low price, build quality appears to be good.

Unfortunately, the watch does not have an always on screen option. The watch allows for custom watchfaces which is a nice feature.

Battery

The RT LS05S comes with a 300 mAh battery. Haylou claims that typical usage battery life is 15 days and watch mode battery life is 20 days. Real world battery approaches 2 weeks which is quite good when compared to other smartwatches. Battery life is one of the biggest positives of this watch.

Connectivity Features

From a connectivity perspective, the Haylou RT LS05S can only receive notifications and there is no ability to respond to notifications from the watch. Emojis are not supported. Some people have had trouble getting notifications to work when paired with their smartphone. Given the budget nature of the watch, there is a risk that it will not interact well with your smartphone.

Unfortunately the KW66 does not have any other connectivity features:

• No speaker
• No microphone
• No ability to answer or place calls via bluetooth
• No camera
• No cellular connectivity
• No GPS
• No Near Field Communication (NFC) for payments

Health and Fitness Features

The Haylou RT LS05S comes with 3 sensors: Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Heart Rate Monitor (HRM). These only cover a few fitness and health areas. These sensors allow you to track the following 5 metrics: Calories, Distance, Heart Rate, Sleep, Steps. Also included are 12 different sports modes.

Heart rate accuracy at rest, casual activities or steady state runs is relatively accurate. For casual tracking, this may be adequate but could be a concern if you are looking for high tracking accuracy for your sports or fitness goals. However with interval training, short bursts of activity or high intensity training, accuracy is poor.

Tattoos, hair, sweat and even skin color are factors that impact accuracy as well. This is a common problem with nearly all wrist based optical heart rate monitoring. While there are a few exceptions that do a pretty good job on heart rate monitoring, such as the Apple Watch 6, serious trainers should look into a chest strap for best heart rate accuracy.

Haylou Fun App

The Haylou RT LS05S uses the Haylou Fun app, a newer app which currently has limited features. The app presents the same rudimentary data as the watch and has limited functionality. There have been complaints of data not syncing between the watch and the phone. The low rating of this app on the Google Play Store is justified.

Known Issues

As this watch has just recently been released, there are no common known issues.

Verdict

The Haylou RT LS05S is nearly identical to the original Haylou Solar but with a different design. A very basic smartwatch with poor tracking accuracy and very limited features. While battery life is good, the app is below average resulting in a frustrating experience. Avoid this smartwatch.

Specifications

Published: April 11, 2021