The newest iteration of the premium Fenix outdoor watch brings a life-saving feature: phone-free messaging and SOS messaging via 4G LTE or satellite connections.
The Fenix 8 Pro builds upon the already impressive Fenix 8 by adding new mobile tech, plus an optional advanced microLED screen in a special edition. This is the brand's premier device and designed to be the single tool needed to venture almost any location and track all your movements.
This makes it an extremely expensive proposition, starting at £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED model and climbing to a substantial £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm edition with microLED display – nearly double the cost of the standard Fenix 8.
Users receive a lot of features for your investment, with industry-leading fitness, activity and adventure monitoring. Its full offline maps of the world can seamlessly guide you return to the trail if you lose your way without a phone, and look great on the sizable, crisp and high-luminance display.
This Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively available in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, omitting the more compact 43mm size available in other models, so it is a big watch for larger wrists. However the 47mm OLED model as tested does have an additional day of watch battery life despite the screen always active, lasting a solid eight to nine days between charging.
No-Phone Messaging, Calling and Real-Time Location
The company operates its own inReach LTE (4G) and orbital service service instead of depending on a watch plan tied to your phone provider, as with other wearables. But in contrast to competing satellite-enabled products, emergency communication is not provided for no cost.
Instead, subscriptions begin from £7.99 or similar a month, which includes unlimited LTE text and audio messages, calls and LiveTrack location tracking – so your contacts or family can monitor you while out running, biking or comparable activities – plus emergency satellite SOS alerts.
Check-ins and texts via satellite are then billed additionally, with more expensive plans including various allowances of satellite usage, increasing to a £50 a month unlimited plan. The watch comes with a 30-day free trial so you can test out the functionality.
After you have completed setup, you just head out outside without your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You can not use it for playing music or comparable activities, but you can place and receive calls, dispatch texts and overall stay connected with your relatives and friends.
When you text someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a random number, which they can reply to back to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger application, you can then message back and forth using text or spoken messages, and make voice calls. Your recipient is not required to have a Garmin profile to use the Messenger application, just a phone number is enough to register for texts.
Messaging on the watch functions fine but composing texts on the small on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It has a set of personalizable canned responses you can use to speed things up. Spoken messages and calls perform acceptably, although as with most wearables, you’re not going to wish to use it for extended discussions as the quality is not ideal.
LiveTrack is the handiest feature. You can configure to on its own send a link to selected contacts every time you start an exercise, so they can track your live location on a map. It’s excellent for monitoring competition performance, but it primarily acts as a utility for someone you rely on to know your location in case an incident occurs. It has generally worked well, although the actual position has sometimes lagged when moving in and out of good LTE coverage.
All of these features are accessible on other Garmin devices if you carry your phone with you, but in areas where LTE lacks coverage, the orbital kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, location check-ins and SOS SOS.
A guide shows you how to locate the clear view to the orbital system, which then sends and receives communications within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was unexpectedly straightforward to use and could be a crucial lifeline, though it is essential to note that satellite service is restricted to the US mainland, the majority of Canada, and the majority of Europe except for regions of Scandinavia above 65 degrees north.
Sustainability
The watch is generally repairable with options offered via the customer service portal. The battery is rated to retain at least 90% of its original power after two years of regular charging. The watch does not contain any recycled components. Garmin offers recycling programs on new purchases.
Cost
The Fenix 8 Pro costs from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The optional Garmin inReach service plans cost from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Verdict
This Fenix 8 Pro builds on a excellent adventure watch in the regular Fenix 8 and adds LTE for texting, call functionality and LiveTrack – plus satellite communication, check-in and SOS SOS for when you’re without coverage.
Outcome is an increasingly impressive outdoor tool for those that desire to be phone-free. If you want to have someone keep an eye on you remotely while exercising out at night or in the remote areas, the Garmin does so without needing anything else.
It is quite freeing to be outdoors without a phone, but that capability comes at quite a cost, both in terms of the substantial cost of the watch and the recurring subscription of the inReach plan to provide 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 gadget for someone who dislikes being weighed down by their phone when running, biking or trekking, but nevertheless desires to be trackable and reachable. For other users, it is a significant money when the superb Fenix 8 is already available.
Advantages: LTE and satellite communication, high-luminance OLED screen, tracks all activities with best-in-class GPS, built-in torch, voice and offline voice control, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, complete offline maps and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre underwater use, physical controls and touch.
Drawbacks: extremely expensive, LTE and orbital functions need monthly subscription, limited Garmin Pay financial compatibility, speech capabilities are slow, basic wearable features compared with competing watches.
