This latest iteration of the premium Fenix adventure timepiece brings a potentially lifesaving capability: phone-free messaging and SOS alerts via 4G LTE or orbital links.
This Fenix 8 Pro builds upon the already impressive Fenix 8 by adding cutting-edge cellular technology, plus an optional state-of-the-art microLED display in a special edition. This is the brand's top model and designed to be the single tool needed to venture virtually any location and monitor all your movements.
This positions it as an extremely expensive option, starting at £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 cost of the standard Fenix 8.
You do receive a lot of functionality for your investment, with industry-leading workout, movement and outdoor tracking. Its full offline maps of the world can seamlessly guide you back to the path if you lose your way without a phone, and look excellent on the large, crisp and super-bright display.
The Fenix 8 Pro is only available in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, not the smaller 43mm size found in other devices, so it is a big watch for larger wrists. But the 47mm OLED version as tested boasts an extra day of watch battery life despite the screen on all the time, enduring a solid eight to nine days between charges.
No-Phone Texting, Calls and Live Tracking
The company uses its own inReach LTE (4G) and orbital subscription service instead of depending on a watch plan tied to your mobile provider, as with other wearables. But in contrast to Apple or Google's satellite-enabled devices, SOS communication is not provided for free.
Instead, subscriptions start at £7.99 or equivalent a month, which includes limitless LTE text and voice messages, calls and LiveTrack location sharing – so your friends or loved ones can monitor you while engaged in jogging, biking or similar activities – plus emergency satellite SOS alerts.
Check-ins and messages over satellite are then billed additionally, with higher-tier plans offering different allowances of orbital use, climbing to a £50 a month unlimited subscription. The watch includes a 30-day free trial so you can evaluate the functionality.
After you have completed setup, you just head out the door minus your phone and the watch will link to LTE. You cannot use it for playing music or comparable tasks, but you are able to make and take calls, send texts and generally stay connected with your relatives and friends.
When you text someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a arbitrary number, which they can reply to back to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger app, you can then message back and forth via text or spoken communications, and initiate voice calls. Your recipient is not required to have a Garmin account to use the Messenger app, only a phone number is sufficient to register for texts.
Texting on the watch works fine but typing out 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 OK, although as with the majority of wearables, you’re not going to wish to use it for extended discussions as the audio clarity is less than fantastic.
LiveTrack is the handiest function. You can set it up to on its own send a link to chosen contacts every time you begin an activity, so they can follow your real time position on a map. It’s excellent for monitoring race performance, but it mostly acts as a utility for someone you rely on to know your whereabouts in case an incident occurs. It has generally worked well, although the actual position has occasionally lagged when moving in and out of good LTE signal.
All of these features are accessible on other Garmin watches if you bring your phone with you, but in locations where LTE does not reach, the satellite kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, position check-ins and SOS SOS.
A guide displays you how to find the line of sight to the orbital system, which then transmits and gets messages within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was unexpectedly straightforward to use and could be a crucial lifeline, however it is important to remember that orbital service is restricted to the US continent, most of Canada, and most of Europe excluding parts of Scandinavia above 65 degrees north.
Environmental Impact
The watch is typically serviceable with options offered via the support portal. The battery is rated to retain at least 90% of its initial capacity after two years of weekly charging. The watch does not contain any reused materials. Garmin offers recycling programs on recent purchases.
Cost
This Fenix 8 Pro is priced from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The additional Garmin inReach service packages cost from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Conclusion
The Fenix 8 Pro takes a fantastic adventure watch in the regular Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for messaging, call functionality and LiveTrack – along with orbital messaging, location update and emergency SOS for when you’re without signal.
The result is an increasingly impressive outdoor device for those that want to be unplugged. If you wish to have someone keep an eye on you remotely while exercising after dark or in the remote areas, the Garmin accomplishes this without needing anything else.
This is quite liberating to be outdoors without a phone, but that functionality carries quite a price, both in terms of the colossal cost of the watch and the recurring fee of the inReach service to provide the features. Fortunately it isn’t reliant on your phone carrier so works with all make of smartphone and network.
The 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 locatable and reachable. For everyone else, it is a lot of expense when the excellent Fenix 8 is already available.
Pros: LTE and satellite communication, super-bright OLED screen, monitors all activities with best-in-class GPS, built-in torch, voice and standalone commands, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, complete offline maps and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre underwater use, physical controls and touchscreen.
Cons: very expensive, LTE and orbital features require ongoing subscription, restricted Garmin Pay bank support, speech features are slow, limited smartwatch features compared with competing watches.
