This newest model of the flagship Fenix adventure watch includes a potentially lifesaving feature: no-phone messaging and emergency alerts via 4G LTE or orbital connections.
The Fenix 8 Pro enhances the already outstanding Fenix 8 by adding new cellular technology, plus an optional state-of-the-art microLED display in a limited edition. This is the brand's premier model and designed to be the only tool required to venture almost anywhere and monitor all your movements.
This makes it an extremely 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 variant with microLED screen – almost double the price of the regular Fenix 8.
Users receive a significant functionality for your investment, with industry-leading workout, activity and outdoor monitoring. The complete offline maps of the world can seamlessly direct you back to the path if you lose your way without a phone, and appear excellent on the sizable, sharp and high-luminance touchscreen.
The Fenix 8 Pro is only offered in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, omitting the more compact 43mm version available in other models, so it is a large watch for bigger wrists. However the 47mm OLED model as reviewed does have an additional day of smartwatch battery life even with the screen always active, enduring a reliable eight to nine days between charging.
Phone-Free Texting, Calls and Live Tracking
The company uses its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and orbital subscription plan instead of depending on a watch plan tied to your phone provider, as with other wearables. However in contrast to Apple or Google's satellite-enabled products, emergency communication is not provided for free.
Instead, plans begin from £7.99 or equivalent a month, which provides unlimited LTE SMS and audio messages, call functionality and LiveTrack position sharing – so your friends or family can monitor you while engaged in running, biking or similar activities – along with SOS satellite SOS alerts.
Check-ins and texts via orbital are then charged on top, with more expensive subscriptions including various quotas of satellite usage, climbing 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 completed setup, you just venture the door minus your phone and the watch will link to LTE. You can not use it for playing music or similar activities, but you are able to make and take calls, send texts and overall stay connected with your family and friends.
When you text someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a random number, which they can respond to directly to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger application, you can then communicate back and forth via typed or voice communications, and make voice calls. Your recipient is not required to have a Garmin profile to use the Messenger application, 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 collection of customisable canned responses you can send to expedite communication. Voice messages and calls perform OK, though as with most smartwatches, you’re unlikely going to want to use it for extended discussions as the quality is not fantastic.
LiveTrack is the most useful function. You can set it up to automatically transmit a link to chosen contacts every time you start an activity, so they can track your real time position on a map. It’s excellent for monitoring race progress, but it mostly serves as a tool for someone you rely on to be aware of your location in case something happens. It has typically worked effectively, though the real location has occasionally been delayed when transitioning in and out of good LTE signal.
These capabilities are accessible on other Garmin watches if you bring your phone with you, but in areas where LTE does not reach, the orbital activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, position check-ins and SOS SOS.
A on-screen assistance shows you how to find the clear view to the satellite, which then sends and receives messages within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was unexpectedly straightforward to use and could be a crucial safety feature, though it is important to note that satellite service is restricted to the US continent, the majority of Canada, and most of Europe excluding regions of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees north.
Sustainability
The watch is generally repairable with options offered through the customer service portal. The battery is rated to retain at least 90% of its initial capacity after two years of regular charging. The watch lacks any reused materials. Garmin provides disposal programs on new 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 begin from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Verdict
This Fenix 8 Pro builds on a excellent outdoor watch in the regular Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for messaging, calls and LiveTrack – along with satellite messaging, location update and emergency SOS for when you’re out of signal.
Outcome is an increasingly remarkable adventure tool for those that desire to be phone-free. If you wish to have someone keep an eye on you from afar while exercising after dark or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin does so without needing anything else.
This is quite freeing to be outdoors without a phone, but that capability carries quite a cost, both in terms of the substantial price of the watch and the monthly fee of the inReach plan to provide the service. Fortunately it isn’t reliant on your phone carrier so works with any brand of smartphone and carrier.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a killer gadget for someone who dislikes being weighed down by their phone when jogging, biking or trekking, but nevertheless wants to be locatable and contactable. For other users, it is a lot of money when the superb Fenix 8 is already available.
Pros: LTE and satellite communication, high-luminance OLED display, tracks everything with premier GPS, built-in torch, voice and offline voice control, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, complete offline maps and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre diving, physical controls and touchscreen.
Cons: extremely costly, LTE and orbital features need ongoing subscription, limited Garmin Pay bank compatibility, voice capabilities are slow, basic wearable features compared with competing watches.
