This latest version of the flagship Fenix adventure timepiece introduces a life-saving capability: phone-free messaging and emergency messaging via 4G LTE or orbital connections.
The Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the already outstanding Fenix 8 by adding new cellular tech, along with an optional advanced microLED screen in a special edition. This is the brand's top device and engineered to be the only gadget required to explore virtually anywhere and track all your movements.
That makes it an very pricey option, starting at £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED model and climbing to a substantial £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm edition with microLED screen – almost double the cost of the regular Fenix 8.
You do get a significant functionality for your money, with best-in-class fitness, movement and adventure tracking. The full offline maps of the globe can seamlessly guide you back to the trail if you get lost absent a phone, and look great on the sizable, crisp and high-luminance touchscreen.
The Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively offered in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, not the more compact 43mm size found in other devices, so it is a big watch for larger wrists. But the 47mm OLED version as tested boasts an additional day of watch battery life despite the screen on all the time, lasting a solid eight to nine days between charges.
No-Phone Messaging, Calling and Live Tracking
The company operates its own inReach LTE (4G) and satellite subscription plan rather than relying on a watch plan linked to your mobile carrier, as with other smartwatches. But in contrast to competing satellite-enabled products, emergency communication is not included for free.
Rather, plans begin from £7.99 or similar a month, which includes unlimited LTE text and audio messages, call functionality and LiveTrack position sharing – so your friends or loved ones can keep an eye on you while engaged in jogging, biking or comparable activities – along with emergency orbital SOS messaging.
Check-ins and texts via satellite are then charged on top, with more expensive plans offering various allowances of orbital use, increasing to a £50 a month unlimited plan. The watch comes with a 30-day free trial so you can evaluate the service.
After you have completed setup, you simply head out outside without your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You can not use it for streaming music or comparable activities, but you can make and take calls, dispatch texts and overall keep in touch with your relatives and friends.
When you message someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a arbitrary phone number, which they can respond to back to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger app, you can then message reciprocally via text or voice communications, and initiate voice calls. Your contact is not required to have a Garmin account to use the Messenger application, just a mobile number is sufficient to register for texts.
Messaging on the watch works adequately but typing out texts on the small on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It includes a collection of customisable canned responses you can send to speed things up. Spoken recordings and calls perform OK, although as with most smartwatches, you’re unlikely going to wish to use it for lengthy discussions as the quality is not fantastic.
LiveTrack is the handiest function. You can configure to automatically transmit a URL to selected contacts whenever you start an exercise, so they can track your live location on a map. It’s great for monitoring race progress, but it primarily serves as a tool for someone you trust to know your location in case something happens. It has typically functioned effectively, although the actual location has occasionally been delayed when moving in and out of strong LTE signal.
These capabilities are available on other Garmin devices if you bring your phone with you, but in areas where LTE does not reach, the satellite activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, position updates and emergency SOS.
A on-screen assistance 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 easy to use and could be a vital safety feature, though it is essential to remember that orbital coverage is limited to the US mainland, most of Canada, and the majority of Europe except for parts of Scandinavia above 65 degrees latitude.
Environmental Impact
The watch is typically serviceable with services offered through the support portal. The battery is certified to maintain at least 90% of its original power after two years of regular charging. The watch does not contain any recycled materials. Garmin provides disposal schemes on new purchases.
Cost
The Fenix 8 Pro costs from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The optional Garmin inReach subscription packages cost from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Verdict
This Fenix 8 Pro builds on a fantastic outdoor watch in the regular Fenix 8 and adds LTE for texting, call functionality and LiveTrack – plus orbital messaging, location update and emergency SOS for when you’re out of signal.
Outcome is an increasingly remarkable adventure device for those that want to be phone-free. If you want 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 requiring anything else.
This is quite liberating to be outdoors without a phone, but that capability comes at a significant cost, both in terms of the substantial cost of the watch and the recurring fee of the inReach plan to enable the service. Fortunately it is not dependent on your phone carrier so functions with any brand of smartphone and carrier.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier device for someone who hates being weighed down by their phone when running, cycling or trekking, but nevertheless wants to be trackable and contactable. For other users, it is a lot of expense when the excellent Fenix 8 already exists.
Advantages: LTE and satellite messaging, super-bright OLED display, tracks all activities with premier GPS, integrated flashlight, voice and standalone commands, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, full offline maps and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre diving, physical controls and touch.
Cons: extremely expensive, LTE and orbital features require ongoing payment, limited Garmin Pay financial compatibility, speech capabilities are sluggish, limited smartwatch functionality compared with Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
