This latest iteration of the premium Fenix outdoor watch includes a life-saving capability: phone-free messaging and SOS alerts using 4G LTE or orbital links.
This Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the previously outstanding Fenix 8 by incorporating cutting-edge mobile tech, plus an available advanced microLED display in a limited edition. This is the brand's premier device and designed to be the only gadget needed to venture almost any location and track all your movements.
That positions it as an extremely pricey proposition, starting at £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED model and reaching a colossal £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm edition with microLED display – almost twice the price of the standard Fenix 8.
Users get a significant functionality for your money, with industry-leading fitness, activity and adventure monitoring. The complete offline maps of the world can seamlessly guide you return to the path if you lose your way absent a phone, and look excellent on the large, crisp and super-bright touchscreen.
The Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively offered in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, not the smaller 43mm size found in other models, so it is a large watch for bigger wrists. But the 47mm OLED model as tested does have an extra day of watch battery life even with the screen on all the time, lasting a reliable eight to nine days between charges.
No-Phone Texting, Calls and Real-Time Location
The company uses its own inReach LTE (4G) and orbital service service rather than relying on a watch plan linked to your phone carrier, as with other wearables. But in contrast to competing satellite-capable devices, SOS messaging is not included for no cost.
Instead, subscriptions begin from £7.99 or equivalent a month, which includes unlimited LTE SMS and audio messages, call functionality and LiveTrack position sharing – so your friends or family can keep an eye on you while engaged in running, biking or similar activities – along with SOS orbital SOS messaging.
Location updates and messages via orbital are then charged on top, with more expensive subscriptions including various quotas of orbital use, climbing to a £50 a month all-inclusive plan. The watch comes with a 30-day free trial so you can evaluate the functionality.
Once you have got it set up, you simply head out outside minus your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You cannot use it for playing music or comparable tasks, but you are able to make and take calls, dispatch texts and generally keep in touch with your relatives and companions.
Whenever you text someone, Garmin sends them an SMS from a arbitrary number, which they can reply to back to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger application, you can then message back and forth via text or spoken communications, and make voice calls. Your contact is not required to have a Garmin profile to use the Messenger application, just a mobile number is enough to sign up for texts.
Messaging on the watch works fine but composing texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is slow. It includes a set of personalizable canned responses you can use to speed things up. Spoken messages and calls work acceptably, although as with the majority of wearables, you’re unlikely going to want to use it for extended conversations as the audio clarity is not fantastic.
LiveTrack is the most useful function. You can configure to automatically send a link to selected contacts every time you begin an activity, so they can track your real time location on a map. It’s great for monitoring race progress, but it mostly acts as a tool for someone you rely on to know your whereabouts in case something happens. It has generally functioned well, though the actual location has sometimes been delayed when moving in and out of strong LTE coverage.
These capabilities are available on other Garmin devices if you carry your phone with you, but in areas where LTE lacks coverage, the satellite activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, position updates and emergency SOS.
A on-screen assistance displays you how to locate the clear view to the satellite, which then sends and receives communications within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was surprisingly straightforward to use and could be a crucial lifeline, however it is essential to note that orbital service is limited to the US mainland, the majority of Canada, and most of Europe except for parts of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees latitude.
Sustainability
The watch is generally repairable with services offered via the support site. The battery is rated to retain at least 90% of its original capacity after two years of regular charging. The watch does not contain any reused materials. Garmin provides disposal schemes on recent purchases.
Price
This Fenix 8 Pro is priced from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The additional Garmin inReach subscription packages cost from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Verdict
The Fenix 8 Pro builds on a fantastic adventure watch in the regular Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for messaging, calls and LiveTrack – along with orbital communication, location update and emergency SOS for when you’re out of coverage.
The result is an even more impressive adventure device for those that desire to be unplugged. If you want to have someone keep an eye on you remotely while exercising after dark or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin does so without needing anything else.
It is quite freeing to be outside without a phone, but that capability carries a significant cost, both in terms of the colossal cost of the watch and the monthly subscription of the inReach service to enable the features. Fortunately it isn’t reliant on your phone provider so works with all brand of smartphone and carrier.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a killer device for someone who dislikes being weighed down by their phone when running, biking or trekking, but nevertheless wants to be trackable and contactable. For everyone else, it is a significant expense when the excellent Fenix 8 is already available.
Advantages: LTE and orbital communication, super-bright OLED screen, monitors all activities with best-in-class GPS, built-in flashlight, phone and standalone commands, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, complete offline maps and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre diving, buttons and touch.
Cons: extremely expensive, LTE and satellite functions need ongoing subscription, restricted Garmin Pay bank compatibility, speech capabilities are slow, limited smartwatch functionality versus competing watches.
