The newest iteration of the top-tier Fenix adventure watch includes a life-saving feature: phone-free messaging and SOS alerts using 4G LTE or orbital links.
This Fenix 8 Pro enhances the already outstanding Fenix 8 by adding cutting-edge cellular tech, along with an available state-of-the-art microLED display in a special edition. This is Garmin's top device and designed to be the single gadget required to venture almost anywhere and monitor all your movements.
This makes it an extremely expensive proposition, 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 twice the cost of the standard Fenix 8.
Users get a significant functionality for your investment, with best-in-class workout, activity and outdoor monitoring. The complete offline mapping of the globe can seamlessly guide you return to the path if you lose your way without a phone, and look excellent on the large, crisp and high-luminance touchscreen.
The Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively offered in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, not the smaller 43mm size available in other devices, so it is a big watch for bigger wrists. However the 47mm OLED version as tested does have an additional day of watch battery life even with the screen always active, lasting a reliable eight to nine days between charging.
No-Phone Texting, Calls and Real-Time Location
The company operates its own inReach LTE (4G) and satellite subscription service rather than depending on a watch plan linked to your phone provider, like other smartwatches. But in contrast to competing satellite-capable devices, SOS messaging is not included for no cost.
Instead, subscriptions start at £7.99 or similar a month, which includes limitless LTE SMS and voice messages, calls and LiveTrack location sharing – so your friends or family can keep an eye on you while out running, biking or comparable activities – along with SOS satellite SOS alerts.
Check-ins and texts via satellite are then charged additionally, with more expensive subscriptions including various allowances of satellite use, climbing to a £50 a month unlimited plan. The watch includes a 30-day free trial so you can evaluate the service.
Once you have got it set up, you just head out outside without your phone and the watch will link to LTE. You cannot use it for streaming music or comparable activities, but you can place and receive calls, dispatch texts and generally keep in touch with your family and friends.
When you message someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a random number, which they can reply to directly to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger application, you can then message back and forth via typed or voice communications, and initiate voice calls. Your recipient does not need a Garmin account to use the Messenger app, just 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 slow. It has a collection of personalizable canned replies you can send to expedite communication. Spoken messages and calls work OK, though as with the majority of wearables, you’re not going to wish to use it for lengthy discussions as the audio clarity is not fantastic.
LiveTrack is the most useful feature. You can configure to automatically send a URL to chosen contacts every time you begin an exercise, so they can follow your real time position on a map. It’s excellent for following competition progress, but it primarily acts as a tool for someone you trust to know your location in case something happens. It has generally worked well, although the actual location has sometimes been delayed when transitioning in and out of strong LTE coverage.
These features are available on other Garmin watches if you bring your phone with you, but in areas where LTE lacks coverage, the satellite activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, location updates and SOS SOS.
A on-screen assistance shows you how to find the line of sight to the orbital system, which then sends and receives communications within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was unexpectedly straightforward to use and could be a vital lifeline, though it is important to remember that orbital coverage is limited to the US mainland, most of Canada, and most of Europe excluding parts of Scandinavia above 65 degrees latitude.
Environmental Impact
The watch is generally serviceable with services available via the customer service portal. The battery is certified to maintain at least 90% of its initial capacity after two years of regular charging. The watch lacks any reused materials. Garmin provides recycling programs on new purchases.
Price
The Fenix 8 Pro costs 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
The Fenix 8 Pro builds on a fantastic outdoor watch in the regular Fenix 8 and adds LTE for messaging, call functionality and LiveTrack – along with satellite communication, location update and SOS SOS for when you’re without signal.
Outcome is an increasingly remarkable outdoor tool for those that desire to be phone-free. If you want to have someone keep an eye on you from afar while running after dark or in the remote areas, the Garmin does so without requiring anything else.
It is quite liberating to be outdoors without a phone, but that capability carries quite a cost, both in terms of the colossal cost of the watch and the recurring fee of the inReach plan to enable the features. At least it is not reliant on your phone provider so works with all make of smartphone and carrier.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier gadget for someone who dislikes being weighed down by their phone when running, cycling or trekking, but nevertheless desires to be trackable and contactable. For other users, it is a lot of money when the superb Fenix 8 is already available.
Advantages: LTE and orbital messaging, high-luminance OLED screen, tracks everything with best-in-class GPS, integrated flashlight, phone and offline voice control, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, complete offline maps and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre underwater use, physical controls and touchscreen.
Drawbacks: extremely costly, LTE and orbital features require ongoing subscription, limited Garmin Pay bank support, speech features are sluggish, limited smartwatch functionality versus Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
