This newest version of the premium Fenix adventure watch includes a life-saving feature: no-phone messaging and SOS messaging using 4G LTE or satellite connections.
This Fenix 8 Pro builds upon the previously impressive Fenix 8 by adding cutting-edge mobile tech, plus an optional state-of-the-art microLED display in a special edition. This is Garmin's top model and engineered to be the single gadget required to explore virtually anywhere and monitor every activity.
This makes it an very pricey proposition, 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 double the price of the standard Fenix 8.
Users get a significant features for your investment, with industry-leading workout, activity and outdoor tracking. The complete offline maps of the globe can seamlessly direct you back to the trail if you lose your way without a phone, and look excellent on the large, sharp and high-luminance display.
This Fenix 8 Pro is only offered in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, not the smaller 43mm version found in other models, so it is a large watch for bigger wrists. However the 47mm OLED version as tested boasts an additional day of smartwatch battery life despite the display always active, lasting a reliable 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 phone carrier, as with other smartwatches. However in contrast to Apple or Google's satellite-enabled devices, SOS communication is not provided for no cost.
Rather, subscriptions begin from £7.99 or equivalent a month, which includes unlimited LTE text and audio messaging, calls and LiveTrack location tracking – so your friends or family can monitor you while out jogging, cycling or similar activities – along with SOS orbital SOS alerts.
Location updates and messages over satellite are then billed additionally, with higher-tier subscriptions offering different quotas of orbital usage, increasing to a £50 a month unlimited plan. The watch includes a 30-day free trial so you can test out the service.
Once you have got it set up, you just venture outside without your phone and the watch will link to LTE. You cannot use it for playing music or similar activities, but you can make and take calls, send texts and generally keep in touch with your relatives and companions.
Whenever you text someone, Garmin sends them an SMS from a random phone number, which they can reply to back to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger application, you can then communicate reciprocally via typed or spoken communications, and initiate voice calls. Your recipient does not need a Garmin account to use the Messenger application, only a mobile number is enough to sign up for texts.
Texting on the watch functions adequately but composing texts on the small on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It includes a collection of personalizable pre-set responses you can send to speed things up. Voice recordings and calls perform acceptably, although as with most smartwatches, you’re unlikely going to wish to use it for extended conversations as the audio clarity is less than ideal.
LiveTrack is the handiest function. You can configure to automatically send a link to chosen contacts whenever you start an activity, so they can track your real time location on a map. It’s excellent for following competition performance, but it primarily serves as a tool for someone you trust to know your location in case something happens. It has generally worked well, although the real location has occasionally lagged when moving in and out of good LTE signal.
These capabilities are accessible on other Garmin watches if you carry your phone with you, but in locations where LTE does not reach, the orbital activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, position updates and emergency SOS.
A guide shows you how to find the clear view to the orbital system, which then transmits and gets communications within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was unexpectedly easy to use and could be a crucial lifeline, though it is important to note that satellite coverage is restricted to the US mainland, most of Canada, and the majority of Europe except for parts of Scandinavia above 65 degrees north.
Environmental Impact
The watch is typically repairable with services available through the customer service site. The battery is rated to retain at least 90% of its original capacity after two years of regular charging. The watch lacks any recycled components. Garmin provides recycling 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 additional Garmin inReach service packages cost from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Verdict
The Fenix 8 Pro takes a excellent adventure watch in the regular Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for messaging, calls and LiveTrack – plus satellite messaging, location update and SOS SOS for when you’re without coverage.
The result is an increasingly remarkable outdoor tool for those that want to be phone-free. If you wish to have someone monitor you from afar while exercising out at night or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin accomplishes this without requiring anything else.
This is quite freeing to be outdoors without a phone, but that functionality carries quite a cost, both in terms of the colossal cost 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 functions with all make of smartphone and network.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier device for someone who dislikes being weighed down by their phone when running, biking or trekking, but nevertheless wants to be locatable and contactable. For everyone else, it is a significant money when the superb Fenix 8 is already available.
Pros: LTE and orbital messaging, super-bright OLED screen, monitors all activities with premier GPS, built-in torch, voice and standalone voice control, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, full offline maps and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre diving, buttons and touchscreen.
Drawbacks: extremely costly, LTE and satellite functions require monthly payment, limited Garmin Pay financial support, voice features are slow, limited smartwatch functionality versus Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
