Haylou Watch S8 Review: A New and Improved Smartwatch with Impressive Features

With the abundance of smartwatches available in the market today, it can be challenging to find one that suits your needs and budget. In this review, we’ll take a close look at the Haylou Watch S8 the latest addition to the Haylou watch series, building upon the success of its predecessor the Haylou Watch R8. Priced at around 40 USD, this smartwatch model provides an impressive range of features usually found in higher-end devices.

The Watch S8 is a highly anticipated smartwatch that combines style, functionality, and impressive features, which stands out for its attempt to replicate the Apple experience while maintaining an affordable price point. So, we will delve into the unboxing experience, design, user interface, features, and functionality of the watch. By the end of this article, you’ll have a thorough understanding of the Haylou Watch S8 and its capabilities.

Unboxing Experience:

The packaging of the Haylou Watch S8 follows the new standard set by Haylou’s Watch series. The box is sturdy and well-designed to ensure the protection of the watch during shipping. The front of the box prominently displays the name “Haylou Watch S8,” while the back provides essential information about the device, such as the 1.96-inch Amoled screen, voice assistant capabilities, sports modes, call functions, health monitoring features, and impressive battery life of up to 7 days.

Upon opening the box, you’ll find the smartwatch itself, which is thoughtfully protected. The watch comes with a protective film on the screen and a high-quality bracelet. The bracelet feels comfortable and features a relief design that adds to its aesthetics. The construction of the smartwatch is impressive, with a curved screen that sets it apart from other smartwatches on the market.

Design And Build Quality

The Haylou Watch S8 introduces notable design changes compared to the R8, giving it a fresh and modern look. The aluminum body provides a sturdy and premium feel, ensuring durability. The home screen showcases the curved screen, which provides a unique and aesthetically pleasing experience. The curved screen is a standout feature of the watch, setting it apart from its competitors. The screen seamlessly blends into the overall design of the watch, creating a sleek and modern look.

The rounded edges and polished finish give it a premium look that belies its affordable price point. The watch is available in multiple colors, allowing users to choose the one that best matches their style. So, Despite its budget-friendly price, the smartwatch boasts a premium design that goes beyond expectations. It resembles a classic luxury watch, defying its price tag of under 40 USD.

The Haylou Watch S8 takes heavy inspiration from the Apple Watch in terms of aesthetics, which is a positive aspect. The outer frame is made of brushed aluminum, giving it a premium feel. The dark version of the watch has a grayish tone, resembling titanium, albeit slightly darker. The watch’s design, including the small knob used for navigation, closely resembles the traditional smartwatch design. While the knob may feel slightly less sturdy compared to the rest of the watch, it is functional and serves its purpose well.

In terms of comfort, it offers excellent ergonomics, ensuring that the buttons are not accidentally pressed during exercise. The soft and flexible material of the bracelet also helps prevent skin irritation, even during prolonged wear. The watch’s official size is 22mm, which may not be as large as some other options in the market but is suitable for most users. Although the watch lacks the elegance of high-end smartwatches, it compensates with its functional design and comfortable fit, making it suitable for everyday wear.

The backside houses charging pins and sensors, discreetly placed beneath a transparent plastic cover. These sensors are highly responsive and accurately track various metrics without requiring manual input. On the left side, you’ll find a speaker hole, indicating the watch’s support for Bluetooth calls.

Waterproof

Haylou Watch S8 has an impressive water resistance rating of 3ATM. But what does this rating mean, and why is it significant? The “ATM” rating is a measure of a device’s water resistance, with each ATM representing 10 meters of water pressure. In the case of the Watch S8, the 3ATM rating implies that it can withstand water pressures equivalent to a depth of 50 meters. To put this in perspective, this level of water resistance is more than sufficient for most water-related activities that individuals engage in.

So, there’s no need to worry about taking off your smart band before getting wet. Its 3ATM water resistance ensures that it can handle the rigors of swimming with ease. Beyond swimming, the Band water resistance extends to everyday scenarios where your smart band might encounter splashes, rain, or accidental spills.

But, given that the watch features a speaker and a microphone, it’s advisable to err on the side of caution and avoid exposing it to water whenever possible. While the Watch S8 is designed to be water-resistant, it’s essential to remember that water resistance does have limitations. The device is not intended for use in high-pressure environments such as scuba diving or in saltwater, as salt can be corrosive. Additionally, exposure to hot water or steam may compromise the device’s water resistance over time. To maintain the longevity of your smart band’s water resistance, it’s advisable to rinse it with fresh water and dry it thoroughly after exposure to seawater or chlorinated pool water.

Display Quality

Haylou has invested heavily in the most important aspect of the smartwatch which is the amazing display quality, I am happy to say that I was completely impressed with its display on the Haylou Watch S8. When I first turned on the watch, I was immediately greeted with vividly saturated colors and deep shades of black. I was shocked because this is a display offered on an under $40 smartwatch.

The Watch S8 boasts an impressive 1.92 inch AMOLED display that elevates the visual experience. With its vibrant colors and good brightness levels, the screen is a significant improvement over the S8. The display’s resolution of 410*502 and a 60Hz high refresh rate, result in a smoother and more responsive user experience that sets it apart from many other budget smartwatches that often feature lower refresh rates. This display occupies a large part of the watch’s front surface, which is notably larger than most competitors in its category. It offers a level of screen real estate that’s not often seen in smartwatches of its class.

Moreover, the display quality is top-notch. Thanks to its high resolution and AMOLED technology, the colors are vibrant, the text is crisp, and everything appears exceptionally smooth, with the ability to produce deep blacks and high contrast. Also, The screen not only showcases vibrant colors but also offers exceptional brightness and clarity, ensuring that information is readily accessible even in bright outdoor conditions. This results in vibrant and eye-catching colors on the available watch faces.

Unfortunately, the Smartwatch does not have an auto-brightness feature, but considering its affordable price of $40, it’s understandable. However, the S8 performs well in outdoor conditions thanks to its AMOLED display.

Multi Watch Faces

Watch faces are more than just a way to tell time. The Haylou Watch S8 comes with a stunning AMOLED screen, which serves as a canvas for a wide array of watch faces. With over 150+ watch faces to choose from on the App and some are built into the watch, there’s something for everyone. These encompass a wide spectrum of designs, including various colors, retro styles, analog, 3D, digital faces, and even the new dynamic dials. Moreover, you can use your photos as a watch face background or select any wallpaper of your choice, allowing for endless customization possibilities. With such a wealth of options, you’ll undoubtedly find the perfect watch face to match your mood and outfit.

The watch also allows users to lock the watch faces, preventing accidental changes.

Always-On Display

The Watch S8 doesn’t just stop at its remarkable display quality; it also introduces the convenience of an Always-On Display (AOD) with two dials which is a feature that keeps a portion of the screen active even when the watch is on standby mode to quick access to information without having to raise your wrist or tap the screen. With AOD enabled, a part of the watch face remains visible at all times, which means that even in standby mode, you can still check the time, date, and other essential details at a single glance.

One might wonder if keeping a part of the display active all the time would significantly impact battery life. However, the AOD in this watch is smartly designed to minimize battery consumption. It uses minimal power by dimming the display and ensuring that only the most crucial information is visible.

Performance & User Interface

The Haylou Watch S8 stands out as an affordable and feature-packed option. While its price tag may suggest it’s a budget-friendly choice, its user interface and operation are anything but basic. So, we will take an in-depth look at the hardware, user interface, controls, and overall operation to help you make the most of this impressive wearable.

Navigating through the watch’s features and functions is a breeze, thanks to its well-designed UI 2in1 Dual-core chip, and Bluetooth 5.3 chip, This advanced chipset ensures faster response times and efficient data processing without lag, providing a user experience that is exceptionally fast and efficient, also, offers Low power consumption dual-core architecture improves the performance of the processor by 70%. So, The touch responsiveness is notably smooth, making interactions with the smartwatch effortless. Moving between menus and applications is seamless, and there is no noticeable lag in response time. This smoothness in navigation enhances the overall user experience, allowing users to access various features with ease.

Navigating through the watch’s features is intuitive, with a shortcut that displays the latest applications, time, date, and an alarm clock. By swiping from the bottom up, users can access a shortcut to keep the screen always on, although this may consume more battery compared to the Always On Display system.

The Haylou Watch S8 offers a range of settings and features that are easily accessible. Swiping from the bottom up reveals the settings menu, which includes options for the calculator, finding the phone, battery information, alarms, password settings, and more. TThe user interface is intuitive and practical, providing users with easy access to various functions.

The Haylou Watch S8 provides users with ample customization options. In the general settings, users can personalize the display according to their preferences. The watch offers both digital and analog display modes, as well as a bedside mode. Users can adjust the brightness, change the language, select different menu styles, and even restart or restore the watch if needed. The About section provides device information and can be accessed by clicking on the Home screen.

Sensor Performance and Accuracy

The Haylou Watch S8 offers several sensors to enhance its functionality. The heart rate sensor performs reasonably well during day-to-day activities, providing accurate readings. However, during intense workouts, it may struggle to keep up with rapid fluctuations in heart rate. It’s worth noting that the Watch S8 does not have a built-in GPS, relying on connected GPS from your smartphone for accurate distance and location tracking during outdoor activities.

Exercise and Health Tracking

One of the standout features of the Haylou Watch S8 is its comprehensive fitness and sports tracking capabilities. The Watch S8 comes equipped with a reliable pedometer that accurately tracks your steps throughout the day. It provides valuable insights into your daily activity levels, making it an excellent companion for those aiming to achieve their fitness goals. Additionally, the built-in sleep monitor helps you understand the quality of your rest. By analyzing your sleep patterns, it offers suggestions for improving your sleep quality, ensuring you wake up refreshed and ready to tackle the day.

Health-conscious individuals will appreciate the blood oxygen monitoring feature on the Watch S8. This function allows you to measure your blood oxygen saturation levels, providing insights into your overall well-being. Monitoring your blood oxygen levels can be particularly valuable during workouts or high-altitude activities, helping you stay safe and optimize your performance.

The sensors are designed to provide users with comprehensive health tracking. These sensors monitor heart rate, oxygen levels, sleep patterns, and even stress levels. One notable feature is the sedentary reminder, which prompts wearers to stand up and move around, making it an essential feature for individuals leading predominantly sedentary lifestyles. However, it’s essential to keep in mind that, while convenient, relying solely on a budget device for health tracking may not be as accurate as dedicated medical devices or more expensive smartwatches.

Sports Modes

What truly sets the Haylou Watch S8 apart is its vast selection of sports modes. With over 100 different options to choose from, you’ll find a mode tailored to virtually any physical activity you enjoy. Whether you’re into running, cycling, swimming, or yoga, this smartwatch has you covered. The watch’s workout and running modes are especially noteworthy, offering specialized features for tracking outdoor activities with precision. The Watch S8 takes your fitness regimen to the next level by providing real-time data on your workouts. From monitoring your heart rate during high-intensity intervals to tracking your pace during a long run, this smartwatch ensures you stay on top of your fitness game.

Step counting, on the other hand, appears to be slightly underestimated when compared to dedicated step counters. The watch is generally consistent, but it might not keep up with the exact number of steps taken. Nevertheless, it provides a reasonable estimate for daily activity tracking. In addition to standard fitness tracking, the Watch S8 doubles as a personal trainer. While the accuracy of some metrics, particularly in activities like running, might be questioned, the S8 offers trend analysis rather than pinpoint precision. For its price range, the wealth of health-related data provided by the S8 surpasses expectations.

Haylou Fun App & Pairing

On the phone side, the work Haylou has done on the Haylou Fun app has been painstaking, though it reminds us of other Chinese companies and how they designed their fitness apps. If you have used an Amazfit or Huawei watch, this app will look very similar.
This can be easily found on the Apple Store and Play Store and is absolutely free. It is therefore simply necessary to open it, add the smartwatch, and wait for the entire configuration phase.

How To Pair The Haylou Solar Plus

Connecting the smartwatch to your phone is very simple:

• Turn on the Bluetooth of the watch and mobile phone.
• Click Add Device in the APP to connect the watch to the APP or scan a QR code on the watch.
• While the permissions might seem extensive, they contribute to unlocking the full potential of the smartwatch.

How Haylou Fun App Works

Once all operations are completed, the various information detected by the wearable device will also be quickly reported on the APP. As in previous models, the user interface is easy to navigate, which at least from a graphic point of view is coherent and intuitive. In fact, from the main screen, we can instantly get an overview of our activities, as well as take a look at our heart rate, sleep monitoring, pressure, and body weight.

Set various heart rate monitoring options, enable notifications from different apps, set a reminder, and much more. Not only that but in addition to all the various information on the smartwatch itself, it is possible to display more data within each individual area on the main page of the application. By clicking on the heart rate square, for example, we immediately see the full graph for the day, with all the different measurements, as well as data on the average frequency, and maximum and minimum beats.

Notifications & Messages

Notifications on the Haylou Watch S8 arrive quickly and are clear and easily readable. And you won’t miss important messages or notifications. However, you cannot reply to messages. The watch syncs with your smartphone to display incoming calls, messages, social media (Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter), and other app notifications, allowing you to stay connected even when you’re on the move.

Making and Receiving Calls

The Haylou Watch S8 stands out from the crowd by offering a seamless calling experience. While many smartwatches merely notify you of incoming calls, this watch takes it a step further – it allows you to answer your smartphone calls directly from your wrist. All you need to do is sync your smartphone with the watch via Bluetooth 5.3 and when a call comes in, a button will appear on the watch’s screen. Simply tap it to answer the call. What sets the Watch S8 apart is its integrated microphone and speaker. The microphone delivers remarkably clear sound, even in noisy environments like on the road, ensuring that your calls are audible and clear.

To enhance efficiency further, the smartwatch lets you save your important and frequently-called contacts, eliminating the need to sift through a lengthy contact list when you’re in a hurry. Additionally, it features a dial pad that enables you to make calls quickly and conveniently. With these calling capabilities, the Watch S8 offers a practical solution for staying connected while on the go.

Battery Life and Charging

The battery performance of the Haylou Watch S8 varies depending on how you use it and what you use it for, as some features will drain the battery more. And because it has a capacity of 300 mAh battery allows a standby time of up to 20 days. For continuous use, the brand advertises 7 days with 24/7 heart monitor use. The watch charges in about two hours with magnatic charging, a feature not commonly found in budget-friendly options, adding a layer of convenience to the device.

However, this is on paper but in reality, it may differ slightly since when fully charged, the watch barely managed to reach the end of the third day. This difference in endurance is mostly due to the always-on feature, which may have affected performance. It’s possible to increase battery life by 15 days by turning off Bluetooth connectivity and features like heart rate monitoring, leaving you with basics like steps and time. Despite all this, I can say that the battery of the Watch S8 is impressive.

Final verdict

Haylou Watch S8 is one of the most popular smartwatches on the market right now. It is a high-performance smartwatch that is available at a very affordable price. It comes with features that you would find in relatively expensive smartwatches. The smartwatch comes with a 1.92″ AMOLED screen with the ability to make calls and many useful features that you will need every day.

It also comes with amazingly accurate health and sports sensors. In addition, it has a 3ATM water resistance capability with over 100 sports modes, which will track your exercises and help you achieve your fitness goals. The battery life of the smartwatch is amazingly long. The battery life is 5 days longer than many of its competitors in the market. While it may have some limitations in terms of performance and blood pressure measurement accuracy, its overall value for money makes it an appealing option in the budget smartwatch market.

I like wearing the Haylou Watch S8 on my wrist even though it only provides the basic functions, it knows how to do it! It is also light in weight and looks much more expensive than it costs. I can wear this watch comfortably on my wrist for an entire day without feeling any fatigue at all. While it may not match the performance and accuracy of more expensive competitors, the Watch S8 provides a compelling option for those seeking a feature-packed smartwatch on a budget. Consider your priorities and requirements, and if the Haylou Watch S8 meets your needs, it could be an excellent choice for your wrist.

So, It will undoubtedly be difficult to exclude it from our list of the best affordable smartwatches in this category. Making it stand out from the rest of the smartwatches on the market and deviating from the usual in terms of screen, hardware, and even the new software was more than wonderful. Even the rest of the features were more than satisfactory including the overall performance and smooth system navigation as well as the battery which was good. Therefore, it is among the most accurate watches we’ve seen.

In the market competitive landscape of smartwatches, the HAYLOU Watch S8 emerges as a budget-friendly marvel. Priced at around $35 to USD 40, If you’re interested in purchasing the Watch S8 after reading this review, you can find it in the official Haylou store on AliExpress. However, keep in mind that there might be occasional discounts or special offers available. To make it easier for you, we’ve included a direct purchase link to the Watch S8 in the below article. Happy shopping!