The most recent version of the flagship Fenix adventure timepiece includes a potentially lifesaving feature: no-phone messaging and SOS alerts using 4G LTE or satellite links.
This Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the already impressive Fenix 8 by adding new cellular technology, along with an available state-of-the-art microLED screen in a special edition. This is Garmin's premier model and engineered to be the only gadget required to explore almost anywhere and track every activity.
This makes it 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 price of the standard Fenix 8.
Users receive a lot of functionality for your investment, with industry-leading workout, activity and outdoor monitoring. Its full offline maps of the world can seamlessly direct you back to the path if you lose your way absent a phone, and look excellent on the sizable, crisp and high-luminance touchscreen.
This Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively offered in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, omitting the smaller 43mm size available in other models, so it is a big watch for larger wrists. But the 47mm OLED model as tested does have an additional day of smartwatch battery life despite the display always active, lasting a solid eight to nine days between charging.
Phone-Free Messaging, Calling and Live Tracking
The company uses its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and orbital service service rather than relying on a watch plan linked to your phone provider, as with other wearables. But unlike competing satellite-enabled products, SOS communication is not included for no cost.
Instead, subscriptions start at £7.99 or equivalent a month, which provides unlimited LTE SMS and voice messages, call functionality and LiveTrack position tracking – so your friends or family can keep an eye on you while out jogging, cycling or similar pursuits – plus emergency satellite SOS alerts.
Location updates and messages via satellite are then billed additionally, with more expensive plans offering various quotas of orbital usage, climbing to a £50 a month unlimited plan. The watch includes a 30-day trial period so you can test out the functionality.
Once you have got it set up, you simply venture the door without your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You can not use it for streaming music or similar tasks, but you are able to place and receive calls, send texts and overall keep in touch with your relatives and friends.
Whenever you text someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a arbitrary number, which they can respond to back to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger application, you can then message reciprocally using text or spoken communications, and initiate voice calls. Your recipient does not need a Garmin profile to use the Messenger application, only a phone number is sufficient to register for texts.
Texting on the watch works adequately but composing texts on the small on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It has a set of personalizable canned replies you can use to expedite communication. Spoken recordings and calls perform acceptably, although as with the majority of wearables, you’re not going to want to use it for lengthy discussions as the quality is not ideal.
LiveTrack is the handiest 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 position on a map. It’s excellent for following competition performance, 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 position has sometimes been delayed when transitioning in and out of strong LTE coverage.
All of these capabilities are accessible on other Garmin watches if you bring your phone with you, but in locations where LTE lacks coverage, the orbital activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, location updates and emergency SOS.
A on-screen assistance shows you how to locate the line of sight to the satellite, which then transmits and gets communications within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was surprisingly straightforward to use and could be a vital safety feature, however it is important to note that satellite service is restricted to the US continent, most of Canada, and most of Europe except for regions of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees north.
Environmental Impact
The watch is generally repairable with services available through the support site. The battery is certified to retain at least 90% of its original power after two years of weekly charging. The watch lacks any recycled materials. Garmin provides recycling schemes on new purchases.
Price
This Fenix 8 Pro is priced from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The additional Garmin inReach subscription plans begin from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Conclusion
This Fenix 8 Pro builds on a fantastic adventure watch in the regular Fenix 8 and adds LTE for messaging, calls and LiveTrack – along with orbital communication, location update and SOS SOS for when you’re out of signal.
Outcome is an increasingly impressive adventure tool for those that desire to be phone-free. If you wish to have someone monitor you from afar while running after dark or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin does so without requiring additional gear.
This is very freeing to be outdoors without a phone, but that functionality carries quite a price, both in terms of the colossal price of the watch and the monthly subscription of the inReach plan to enable the service. At least it is not reliant on your phone provider so works with any brand of smartphone and network.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier device for someone who hates being weighed down by their phone when jogging, cycling or trekking, but nevertheless desires to be trackable and reachable. For everyone else, it is a lot of money when the superb Fenix 8 already exists.
Advantages: LTE and satellite communication, super-bright OLED screen, tracks everything with best-in-class GPS, integrated torch, voice and standalone commands, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, full offline mapping and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre diving, physical controls and touchscreen.
Cons: extremely expensive, LTE and satellite functions need monthly payment, restricted Garmin Pay bank support, voice capabilities are sluggish, limited smartwatch functionality versus competing watches.
