The most recent model of the premium Fenix outdoor timepiece brings a life-saving feature: phone-free messaging 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 optional state-of-the-art microLED screen in a special edition. This is the brand's premier model and designed to be the single gadget needed to venture almost anywhere and monitor every activity.
This positions it as an extremely expensive proposition, starting at £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED version and climbing to a colossal £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm variant with microLED screen – almost twice the cost of the standard Fenix 8.
You do get a lot of functionality for your money, with best-in-class fitness, movement and adventure tracking. The full offline maps of the world can automatically direct you back to the path if you get lost absent a phone, and appear excellent on the large, sharp and high-luminance touchscreen.
This Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively available in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, omitting the more compact 43mm size found in other models, so it is a big watch for larger wrists. But the 47mm OLED model as tested boasts an extra day of smartwatch battery life despite the display always active, lasting a solid eight to nine days between charges.
No-Phone Texting, Calling and Real-Time Location
Garmin operates its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and orbital service service instead of depending on a watch plan linked to your mobile provider, like other smartwatches. But in contrast to competing satellite-capable devices, SOS communication is not included for no cost.
Instead, plans start at £7.99 or similar a month, which provides unlimited LTE SMS and audio messaging, call functionality and LiveTrack position tracking – so your contacts or family can monitor you while engaged in jogging, cycling or similar activities – along with SOS orbital SOS messaging.
Location updates and texts via satellite are then charged additionally, with higher-tier subscriptions offering different quotas of satellite usage, climbing to a £50 a month all-inclusive plan. The watch comes with a 30-day free trial so you can test out the functionality.
Once you have completed setup, you just head out outside minus your phone and the watch will link to LTE. You can not use it for playing music or comparable tasks, but you can make and take calls, send texts and generally stay connected with your family and friends.
When you text someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a arbitrary phone number, which they can reply to directly to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger app, you can then message back and forth using typed or spoken messages, and make voice calls. Your recipient is not required to have a Garmin profile to use the Messenger app, only a mobile number is sufficient to register for texts.
Texting on the watch functions fine but composing texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It has a set of customisable canned replies you can send 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 quality is less than ideal.
LiveTrack is the handiest feature. You can set it up to automatically send a URL to chosen contacts whenever you start an exercise, so they can track your real time location on a map. It’s great for monitoring race progress, but it primarily serves as a utility for someone you trust to know your location in case something happens. It has generally functioned well, although the real position has sometimes lagged when moving in and out of strong LTE signal.
All of these features are accessible on other Garmin watches if you bring your phone with you, but in areas where LTE lacks coverage, the satellite kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, position check-ins and emergency SOS.
A guide displays you how to locate the line of sight to the satellite, which then sends and receives messages within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was surprisingly straightforward to use and could be a crucial safety feature, however it is essential to remember that orbital service is restricted to the US continent, most of Canada, and most of Europe except for regions of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees latitude.
Sustainability
The watch is generally repairable with services offered via the support site. The battery is certified to retain at least 90% of its initial capacity after two years of weekly charging. The watch lacks any reused components. Garmin offers disposal programs on new purchases.
Cost
The Fenix 8 Pro is priced from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The optional Garmin inReach service plans begin from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Conclusion
The Fenix 8 Pro takes a excellent adventure watch in the standard Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for messaging, calls and LiveTrack – along with orbital messaging, check-in and emergency SOS for when you’re without coverage.
Outcome is an increasingly impressive outdoor device for those that desire to be phone-free. If you wish to have someone keep an eye on you from afar while exercising after dark or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin accomplishes this without requiring anything else.
This is quite freeing to be outside without a phone, but that functionality comes at a significant cost, both in terms of the colossal price of the watch and the recurring fee of the inReach plan to provide the service. At least it is not reliant on your phone carrier so works with any brand of smartphone and carrier.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a killer gadget for someone who hates being weighed down by their phone when jogging, cycling or trekking, but nevertheless wants to be locatable and contactable. For everyone else, it is a significant money when the excellent Fenix 8 already exists.
Advantages: LTE and satellite communication, high-luminance OLED screen, tracks all activities with premier GPS, built-in flashlight, voice and standalone voice control, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, complete offline mapping and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre underwater use, buttons and touchscreen.
Drawbacks: extremely expensive, LTE and orbital functions require monthly subscription, limited Garmin Pay bank compatibility, speech features are slow, basic wearable features compared with Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
