North Edge HK08 GPS Smartwatch | Altimeter, Compass & Calls

Stop Digging the Phone Out to Check the Track.

Three hours up the ridge, the phone is in a dry bag at the bottom of the pack, and you want three answers: how far you have come, which way you are heading and how high you are. Then it rings, and it is still at the bottom of the pack.

The North Edge HK08 carries its own GPS receiver, a barometric altimeter and a compass, so the watch logs your track and shows your heading and height without the phone coming out. Calls come through over Bluetooth from the phone in your pack, and you answer them on your wrist. The screen is a 1.43 in AMOLED, and the 530 mAh battery is quoted by the maker at 5 to 7 days of daily use.

One thing straight up. This is an outdoor fitness watch, not a navigation unit and not a locator beacon. It draws your track and points north; it does not carry topographic maps, it cannot send an SOS, and the maker gives no ATM water rating, so it is not a swimming watch. If you are heading somewhere a wrong turn ends in a search party, take a proper handheld GPS and a personal locator beacon as well.

What it Does

• Built-in GPS: logs your route in the sport modes and shows distance, pace and the track line on the watch itself.
• Altitude & Air Pressure: barometric altimeter and barometer, with an air-pressure trend graph on the screen.
• Compass on your Wrist: geomagnetic compass with heading in degrees, shown alongside your elevation.
• Calls Without the Phone Out: answer and dial through the paired phone over Bluetooth, with a dial pad and recent calls on the watch.
• Message Alerts: calls, texts and app notifications pushed across from the phone.
• Sport Modes: the maker quotes more than 60, recording heart rate, distance, duration and calories during exercise.
• Wellness Readings: heart rate, blood oxygen, sleep and stress, plus breathing training. These are reference readings for fitness, not medical readings.
• Everyday Tools: alarm, stopwatch, world clock, calculator, weather from the phone, music control, remote camera shutter, sit-too-long reminder, cycle calendar and custom watch faces.

Key Features

• 1.43 in AMOLED Screen: 466 x 466 pixels, full touch, with an always-on option.
• Case Size: 47.5 mm across and 12.5 mm thick, with a metal bezel, from the maker's own parameter drawing.
• 22 mm Silicone Strap: detachable, 270 mm end to end with the watch laid flat.
• 530 mAh Battery: lithium polymer, about 2 hours to charge through two contacts on the back of the case.
• Bluetooth 5.3: pairs with Android and iOS phones through the Fitbeing app.
• Cold-Weather Mode: the maker describes a -30 °C low-temperature mode that keeps time, compass and barometer running. No operating range is printed.
• Two Colours: black strap or grey strap; the bezel shows silver or dark depending on the photo, on both colours.
• Delivery: Free Standard Delivery, 5 to 10 working days from the day you order. Allow 1–2 days for fulfilment. Regional and remote addresses can take longer.

Limits

It is Not a Swimming Watch.

The maker's own store text rates it IP67, while its picture and the other seller's listing say IP68. We print both because they disagree. Either way, an IP rating covers dust, rain, sweat and a brief dunk. It is not a pressure rating, and no ATM figure is given anywhere. The supplier's artwork shows surfing and talks about swimming and snorkelling, and the sport menu carries a swimming icon. We are not standing behind any of that. Do not swim in it, do not shower in it, keep it out of hot water, do not press the buttons wet, and never take it diving.

It is Not a Navigation Unit or a Locator Beacon.

It shows the track you have walked and a compass heading. It carries no topographic maps, there is no SOS to a rescue service and no satellite messaging, and with no SIM it cannot reach anyone without your phone. The maker describes the GPS as single-band. Out on your own in rough country, carry a proper handheld GPS or a map and compass, and a personal locator beacon.

It will Not Diagnose a Heart Problem.

The supplier's artwork mentions high and low heart-rate warnings and an atrial fibrillation and arrhythmia function. We are not standing behind that either. A wrist optical sensor is a fitness feature, not a clinical assessment. It does not detect atrial fibrillation or any heart condition, and it is nothing like an ECG. If your chest hurts or your heartbeat feels wrong, ring a doctor, not your wrist.

It will Not Make Calls Without your Phone.

There is no SIM card slot. Calls and messages come through the paired phone over Bluetooth, so the phone has to be on you, switched on, in range of the watch and in mobile coverage.

Barometric Altitude Drifts with the Weather.

The altimeter works out height from air pressure, and air pressure also changes when the weather does. Check the reading against a known height, such as a trig point or a spot height on the map, before you trust it on a long day.

Q & A

Will it Record my Walk if I Leave the Phone Behind?

Yes. The GPS receiver is in the watch, so a sport mode logs the route, distance and pace on its own. The maker's artwork shows workout records being uploaded to the Fitbeing app for review once you reconnect. Calls and messages still need the phone.

Can I Swim or Shower in it?

No. The maker prints IP67 in one place and IP68 in another, and gives no ATM rating at all, so there is nothing to swim against. Rain, sweat and washing your hands are fine. Take it off for the shower, the pool and the surf.

How Long does the Battery Last?

The maker's picture and the other seller say 5 to 7 days of daily use; the maker's store text says 7 to 10 days. Standby is quoted at more than 40 days. No figure is given with GPS running, so plan to charge after a long tracked day rather than trusting the daily figure. A full charge takes about 2 hours.

Which Phones does it Work with?

Android and iOS through the Fitbeing app. The maker's picture says Android 7.0, iOS 12.0 or HarmonyOS 2.0 and later, while its store text says Android 4.4 and iOS 10.0 and later. Go by the higher figures. Notifications need the app left running with permission to read them.

What is the Difference Between Black and Grey?

Black has a black strap, grey has a grey strap. The bezel shows silver in some of the maker's photos and dark in others, on both colours, so we can't promise which finish arrives. The watch inside is the same.

Can I Fit a Different Strap?

The strap is 22 mm wide and detachable. The maker does not say what pin fitting it uses, so compare a replacement with the one on the watch before you buy.

Specs

Note: This product is not a medical device. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease or condition.