This newest iteration of the premium Fenix adventure watch introduces 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 adding cutting-edge cellular technology, plus an available state-of-the-art microLED display in a special edition. This is the brand's premier model and designed to be the only gadget needed to explore virtually anywhere and monitor every activity.
This makes it an extremely expensive option, priced from £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED model and reaching a substantial £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm edition with microLED screen – almost twice the price of the regular Fenix 8.
Users get a significant functionality for your investment, with best-in-class workout, movement and adventure tracking. The full offline mapping of the world can automatically guide you return to the trail if you lose your way without a phone, and appear excellent on the sizable, crisp and high-luminance display.
The Fenix 8 Pro is only available in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, not the more compact 43mm size found in other devices, so it is a big watch for bigger wrists. However the 47mm OLED version as tested boasts an extra day of watch battery life despite the display always active, lasting a solid eight to nine days between charging.
No-Phone Texting, Calls and Real-Time Location
The company uses its own inReach LTE (4G) and satellite subscription plan rather than relying on a watch plan linked to your mobile provider, like other wearables. However unlike Apple or Google's satellite-capable products, SOS communication is not provided for free.
Rather, subscriptions begin from £7.99 or equivalent a month, which provides unlimited LTE SMS and audio messages, call functionality and LiveTrack location tracking – so your friends or family can monitor you while out jogging, biking or comparable activities – plus emergency satellite SOS messaging.
Location updates and messages over satellite are then billed on top, with more expensive subscriptions offering different allowances of satellite use, increasing to a £50 a month unlimited subscription. The watch comes with a 30-day trial period so you can evaluate the functionality.
Once you have completed setup, you just head out outside 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 make and take calls, dispatch texts and generally keep in touch with your relatives and companions.
Whenever you message someone, Garmin sends them an SMS from a random phone number, which they can respond to back to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger app, you can then communicate reciprocally using text or spoken messages, and make voice calls. Your recipient is not required to have a Garmin profile to use the Messenger app, just a mobile number is enough to register for texts.
Texting on the watch functions adequately but composing texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is slow. It has a set of personalizable canned responses you can send to speed things up. Spoken recordings and calls work acceptably, though as with the majority of wearables, you’re not going to want to use it for extended discussions as the audio clarity is less than fantastic.
LiveTrack is the handiest function. You can configure to automatically transmit a URL to chosen contacts whenever you start an activity, so they can track your live location on a map. It’s excellent for monitoring race performance, but it primarily acts as a utility for someone you trust to be aware of your location in case an incident occurs. It has typically worked effectively, though the actual location has sometimes been delayed when moving in and out of good LTE coverage.
All of these features are accessible on other Garmin devices if you carry your phone with you, but in areas where LTE lacks coverage, the orbital kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, location updates and SOS SOS.
A on-screen assistance displays you how to locate the clear view 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 lifeline, though it is important to remember that orbital service is restricted to the US mainland, most of Canada, and most of Europe excluding parts of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees latitude.
Sustainability
The watch is generally serviceable with options offered via the support site. 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 offers disposal programs on recent purchases.
Cost
The Fenix 8 Pro is priced from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The optional Garmin inReach service packages begin from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Verdict
This Fenix 8 Pro builds on a excellent adventure watch in the standard Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for texting, calls and LiveTrack – along with orbital communication, check-in and SOS SOS for when you’re out of signal.
The result is an increasingly remarkable adventure device for those that desire to be unplugged. If you wish to have someone monitor you from afar while running after dark or in the remote areas, the Garmin accomplishes this without needing anything else.
It is quite freeing to be outdoors without a phone, but that capability carries quite a price, both in terms of the substantial cost of the watch and the recurring fee of the inReach service to enable the service. Fortunately it is not dependent on your phone provider so works with any make of smartphone and carrier.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a killer gadget for someone who dislikes being weighed down by their phone when jogging, biking or hiking, but nevertheless wants to be trackable and reachable. For other users, it is a significant money when the superb Fenix 8 is already available.
Advantages: LTE and satellite communication, high-luminance OLED display, monitors all activities with best-in-class GPS, built-in torch, phone and offline commands, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, complete offline mapping and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre underwater use, buttons and touchscreen.
Cons: very costly, LTE and orbital functions need ongoing subscription, restricted Garmin Pay bank compatibility, speech capabilities are slow, limited smartwatch features versus Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
