The latest version of the premium Fenix adventure timepiece introduces a life-saving feature: no-phone messaging and SOS alerts using 4G LTE or orbital links.
This Fenix 8 Pro builds upon the already impressive Fenix 8 by adding new mobile tech, plus an optional state-of-the-art microLED display in a special edition. It is the brand's top device and designed to be the single tool required to explore almost any location and monitor all your movements.
This positions it as an extremely pricey option, 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 – nearly double the cost of the standard Fenix 8.
Users get a lot of functionality for your investment, with industry-leading workout, activity and outdoor monitoring. The complete offline mapping of the globe can seamlessly direct you return to the trail if you get lost without a phone, and look excellent on the large, sharp and high-luminance display.
This Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively offered in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, not the smaller 43mm version found in other devices, so it is a big watch for larger wrists. However the 47mm OLED version as reviewed boasts an extra day of smartwatch battery life despite the display always active, enduring a reliable eight to nine days between charges.
No-Phone Texting, Calls and Live Tracking
The company operates its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and orbital subscription plan rather than relying on a watch plan tied to your phone provider, as with other wearables. But in contrast to Apple or Google's satellite-enabled products, SOS communication is not provided for free.
Rather, subscriptions start at £7.99 or equivalent a month, which includes unlimited LTE text and audio messaging, call functionality and LiveTrack location sharing – so your contacts or family can monitor you while engaged in running, cycling or comparable pursuits – plus SOS orbital SOS alerts.
Check-ins and texts over satellite are then billed additionally, with higher-tier plans offering various quotas of orbital usage, climbing to a £50 a month all-inclusive subscription. The watch comes with 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 can not use it for playing music or comparable activities, but you are able to make and take calls, dispatch texts and overall keep in touch with your relatives and friends.
Whenever you message someone, Garmin sends them an SMS from a random phone number, which they can reply to back to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger app, you can then message back and forth via typed or spoken messages, and make voice calls. Your contact does not need a Garmin account to use the Messenger app, only a mobile 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 collection of personalizable pre-set replies you can send to expedite communication. Spoken messages and calls work OK, though as with the majority of smartwatches, you’re not going to wish to use it for lengthy conversations as the audio clarity is less than ideal.
LiveTrack is the most useful feature. You can configure to automatically send a URL to chosen contacts whenever you start an exercise, so they can follow your real time location on a map. It’s great for following competition progress, but it primarily acts as a utility for someone you trust to be aware of your whereabouts in case an incident occurs. It has typically worked effectively, though the actual location has occasionally lagged when transitioning in and out of strong LTE coverage.
These capabilities are accessible on other Garmin watches 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, location check-ins and emergency SOS.
A guide shows you how to locate 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 vital lifeline, though it is essential to note that orbital service is restricted to the US continent, the majority of Canada, and the majority of Europe excluding regions of Scandinavia above 65 degrees north.
Sustainability
The watch is typically repairable with options available via the support portal. The battery is certified to retain at least 90% of its original power after two years of weekly charging. The watch does not contain any recycled materials. Garmin provides disposal schemes on new purchases.
Price
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 cost from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Verdict
The Fenix 8 Pro builds on a excellent adventure watch in the regular Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for texting, calls and LiveTrack – plus satellite communication, location update and SOS SOS for when you’re out of signal.
The result is an increasingly impressive adventure tool for those that desire to be phone-free. If you want to have someone keep an eye on you from afar while exercising out at night or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin does so without requiring additional gear.
It is very freeing to be outdoors without a phone, but that functionality comes at quite a price, both in terms of the colossal price of the watch and the recurring fee of the inReach plan to provide the features. Fortunately it isn’t dependent on your phone provider so works with all brand of smartphone and network.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier gadget for someone who dislikes being burdened by their phone when running, biking or hiking, but nevertheless wants to be locatable and contactable. For other users, it is a lot of expense when the excellent Fenix 8 is already available.
Advantages: LTE and satellite communication, super-bright OLED display, tracks everything with best-in-class GPS, integrated torch, phone and offline voice control, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, complete offline maps and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre diving, buttons and touchscreen.
Drawbacks: extremely costly, LTE and satellite features require monthly payment, limited Garmin Pay financial compatibility, speech capabilities are slow, limited wearable features versus competing watches.
