This latest version of the top-tier Fenix adventure watch includes a potentially lifesaving feature: no-phone messaging and emergency messaging using 4G LTE or orbital connections.
This Fenix 8 Pro enhances the already impressive Fenix 8 by incorporating cutting-edge mobile technology, plus an available advanced microLED screen in a special edition. This is the brand's premier model and designed to be the single gadget required to venture almost anywhere and monitor all your movements.
That makes it an very pricey option, priced from £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 edition with microLED display – nearly twice the cost of the regular Fenix 8.
Users get a significant functionality for your investment, with industry-leading workout, movement and outdoor monitoring. The complete offline maps of the globe can seamlessly guide you back to the trail if you lose your way without a phone, and look great on the sizable, crisp and high-luminance touchscreen.
This Fenix 8 Pro is only offered in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, not the smaller 43mm size available in other models, so it is a big watch for bigger wrists. But the 47mm OLED model as reviewed boasts an extra day of smartwatch battery life despite the display on all the time, enduring a solid eight to nine days between charges.
No-Phone Texting, Calling and Live Tracking
The company operates its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and satellite service plan instead of relying on a watch plan tied to your mobile provider, like other wearables. But unlike competing satellite-capable products, emergency communication is not provided for free.
Rather, plans begin from £7.99 or similar a month, which provides unlimited LTE SMS and audio messaging, calls and LiveTrack position sharing – so your contacts or family can keep an eye on you while out running, cycling or comparable pursuits – plus SOS orbital SOS alerts.
Check-ins and texts over orbital are then billed additionally, with higher-tier subscriptions including various allowances of orbital usage, climbing to a £50 a month unlimited plan. The watch includes a 30-day free trial so you can evaluate the service.
Once you have got it set up, you just venture outside without your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You can not use it for streaming music or similar tasks, but you can make and take calls, send texts and overall keep in touch with your family and friends.
When you text someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a arbitrary phone number, which they can respond to back to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger app, you can then message back and forth via text or voice messages, and make voice calls. Your contact does not need a Garmin account to use the Messenger application, just a mobile number is sufficient to register for texts.
Texting on the watch works adequately but typing out texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It includes a set of customisable pre-set responses you can use to expedite communication. Voice recordings and calls perform acceptably, though as with most wearables, you’re unlikely going to want to use it for extended discussions as the audio clarity is less than ideal.
LiveTrack is the most useful function. You can set it up to automatically send a URL to selected contacts whenever you begin an exercise, so they can follow your real time location on a map. It’s great for monitoring competition progress, but it primarily serves 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 sometimes lagged when moving in and out of good LTE coverage.
All of these features are available on other Garmin devices 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 SOS SOS.
A guide displays you how to find the line of sight to the satellite, 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 important to remember that satellite coverage is limited to the US mainland, most of Canada, and the majority of Europe except for regions of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees north.
Sustainability
The watch is generally repairable with services offered via the customer service site. The battery is rated to maintain at least 90% of its initial capacity after two years of regular charging. The watch lacks any recycled materials. Garmin provides recycling programs on recent purchases.
Cost
This Fenix 8 Pro costs from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The additional Garmin inReach subscription packages cost from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Verdict
The Fenix 8 Pro builds on a excellent outdoor watch in the standard Fenix 8 and adds LTE for messaging, call functionality and LiveTrack – along with orbital messaging, check-in and SOS SOS for when you’re without signal.
Outcome is an increasingly remarkable outdoor device for those that desire to be unplugged. If you wish to have someone monitor you remotely while running after dark or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin accomplishes this without requiring additional gear.
It is quite liberating to be outdoors without a phone, but that capability comes at quite a price, both in terms of the colossal price of the watch and the monthly fee of the inReach plan to enable the service. Fortunately it is not dependent on your phone provider so works with any make of smartphone and carrier.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier gadget for someone who dislikes being burdened by their phone when running, cycling or trekking, but nevertheless wants to be locatable and contactable. For other users, it is a significant expense when the superb Fenix 8 already exists.
Pros: LTE and satellite communication, high-luminance OLED display, monitors all activities with premier GPS, integrated flashlight, phone and standalone voice control, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, complete offline mapping and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre diving, buttons and touchscreen.
Drawbacks: extremely expensive, LTE and satellite features need ongoing subscription, limited Garmin Pay bank compatibility, speech features are slow, limited smartwatch functionality versus Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
