This newest iteration of the premium Fenix adventure timepiece includes a potentially lifesaving capability: phone-free communication and SOS messaging via 4G LTE or orbital links.
This Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the previously impressive Fenix 8 by adding new mobile technology, plus an available advanced microLED screen in a special edition. This is the brand's top model and designed to be the only gadget needed to explore almost anywhere and track every activity.
This makes it an extremely expensive proposition, priced from £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED model and climbing to a colossal £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm edition with microLED display – almost double the price of the standard Fenix 8.
You do get a significant functionality for your investment, with industry-leading fitness, movement and outdoor tracking. The complete offline mapping of the world can seamlessly guide you back to the trail if you lose your way absent a phone, and appear excellent on the large, crisp and high-luminance display.
The Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively offered in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, omitting the smaller 43mm size available in other devices, so it is a big watch for larger wrists. But the 47mm OLED version as tested boasts an additional day of smartwatch battery life despite the screen on all the time, enduring a reliable eight to nine days between charges.
No-Phone Texting, Calls and Real-Time Location
The company operates its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and satellite subscription plan rather than relying on a watch plan linked to your phone carrier, as with other wearables. But in contrast to Apple or Google's satellite-capable devices, emergency communication is not included for free.
Rather, subscriptions begin from £7.99 or similar a month, which provides unlimited LTE SMS and voice messages, call functionality and LiveTrack location sharing – so your friends or family can keep an eye on you while out running, cycling or comparable pursuits – plus SOS satellite SOS alerts.
Check-ins and texts via satellite are then billed on top, with higher-tier plans offering various quotas of satellite use, climbing to a £50 a month unlimited plan. The watch comes with a 30-day free trial so you can evaluate the functionality.
After you have got it set up, you just head out the door without your phone and the watch will link to LTE. You can not use it for streaming music or comparable tasks, but you can place and receive calls, dispatch texts and overall keep in touch with your family and companions.
Whenever you text someone, Garmin sends them an SMS from a arbitrary phone number, which they can reply to directly to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger app, you can then communicate back and forth via text or voice messages, and make voice calls. Your recipient is not required to have a Garmin profile to use the Messenger application, only a phone number is sufficient to register for texts.
Messaging on the watch functions adequately but composing texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It has a set of personalizable canned responses you can send to speed things up. Spoken recordings and calls work acceptably, though as with most smartwatches, you’re unlikely going to wish to use it for extended conversations as the audio clarity is not ideal.
LiveTrack is the handiest function. You can set it up to automatically transmit a URL to chosen contacts every time you start an exercise, so they can track your live location on a map. It’s great for monitoring competition performance, but it primarily serves as a utility for someone you rely on to know your whereabouts in case an incident occurs. It has typically worked well, although the actual position has occasionally lagged when transitioning in and out of good LTE signal.
All of these features are available on other Garmin devices if you carry your phone with you, but in areas where LTE does not reach, the orbital kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, position updates and emergency SOS.
A on-screen assistance shows you how to locate the clear view to the orbital system, which then transmits and gets messages within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was surprisingly straightforward to use and could be a vital safety feature, however it is important to remember that orbital service is limited to the US continent, the majority of Canada, and most of Europe except for parts of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees north.
Sustainability
The watch is generally serviceable with options available through the support portal. The battery is certified to maintain at least 90% of its initial power after two years of weekly charging. The watch lacks any recycled materials. Garmin offers disposal programs on recent purchases.
Price
The Fenix 8 Pro is priced from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The additional Garmin inReach subscription plans cost from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Conclusion
The Fenix 8 Pro takes a fantastic outdoor watch in the regular Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for texting, calls and LiveTrack – along with orbital communication, location update and SOS SOS for when you’re out of signal.
The result is an even more impressive adventure device for those that want to be phone-free. If you wish to have someone keep an eye on you from afar while running out at night or in the remote areas, the Garmin does so without needing anything else.
This is very freeing to be outdoors without a phone, but that capability carries quite a price, both in terms of the substantial price of the watch and the recurring fee of the inReach service to provide the features. At least it is not reliant on your phone carrier so functions with all brand of smartphone and carrier.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a killer device for someone who dislikes being burdened by their phone when running, cycling or trekking, but still desires to be trackable and contactable. For everyone else, it is a significant expense when the superb Fenix 8 is already available.
Advantages: LTE and orbital messaging, super-bright OLED display, tracks all activities with best-in-class GPS, integrated flashlight, phone and offline voice control, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, full offline mapping and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre diving, physical controls and touch.
Drawbacks: extremely costly, LTE and satellite functions need monthly payment, restricted Garmin Pay bank compatibility, voice capabilities are sluggish, limited wearable features compared with competing watches.
