The latest iteration of the flagship Fenix adventure timepiece brings a life-saving capability: phone-free messaging and SOS alerts using 4G LTE or orbital links.
The Fenix 8 Pro enhances the already impressive Fenix 8 by adding cutting-edge cellular technology, along with an optional advanced microLED display in a special edition. This is the brand's premier model and engineered to be the only gadget needed to explore virtually any location and track every activity.
This makes it an very 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 receive a significant functionality for your investment, with industry-leading workout, movement and outdoor tracking. The complete offline mapping of the globe can seamlessly direct you back to the path if you lose your way absent a phone, and appear great on the large, crisp and high-luminance touchscreen.
The Fenix 8 Pro is only available in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, not the smaller 43mm size found in other models, so it is a big watch for bigger wrists. But the 47mm OLED version as tested does have an extra day of smartwatch battery life despite the display on all the time, lasting a reliable eight to nine days between charges.
Phone-Free Texting, Calls and Live Tracking
The company uses its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and orbital service plan instead of depending on a watch plan linked to your mobile carrier, like other wearables. But unlike Apple or Google's satellite-capable devices, SOS communication is not included for free.
Rather, plans 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 loved ones can keep an eye on you while engaged in running, biking or similar pursuits – plus emergency orbital SOS alerts.
Check-ins and messages via orbital are then charged additionally, with more expensive plans including different quotas of orbital use, climbing to a £50 a month unlimited subscription. The watch includes a 30-day trial period so you can evaluate the service.
After you have got it set up, 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 place and receive calls, dispatch texts and overall keep in touch with your family and companions.
When you text someone, Garmin sends them an SMS from a random phone number, which they can reply to back to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger app, you can then communicate reciprocally via text or spoken communications, and make voice calls. Your recipient does not need a Garmin profile to use the Messenger application, only a mobile number is sufficient to register for texts.
Texting on the watch functions adequately but composing texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is slow. It includes a set of customisable pre-set replies you can use to expedite communication. Spoken messages and calls work acceptably, although as with most wearables, you’re not going to want to use it for lengthy conversations as the audio clarity is less than fantastic.
LiveTrack is the most useful feature. You can configure to on its own transmit a URL to chosen contacts whenever you start an exercise, so they can track your live location on a map. It’s great for monitoring race performance, but it primarily acts as a tool for someone you trust to know your whereabouts in case an incident occurs. It has generally worked well, though the actual location has sometimes been delayed when moving in and out of strong LTE coverage.
These capabilities are available on other Garmin devices if you carry your phone with you, but in areas where LTE lacks coverage, the orbital activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, position updates and emergency SOS.
A guide displays you how to locate the line of sight to the satellite, which then sends and receives communications within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was surprisingly easy to use and could be a crucial lifeline, though it is essential to remember that orbital service is restricted to the US continent, the majority of Canada, and most of Europe except for parts of Scandinavia above 65 degrees north.
Sustainability
The watch is generally repairable with options offered through the support portal. The battery is rated to retain at least 90% of its original capacity after two years of weekly charging. The watch does not contain any recycled components. Garmin provides recycling schemes on recent purchases.
Price
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).
Conclusion
This Fenix 8 Pro takes a excellent outdoor watch in the standard Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for texting, call functionality and LiveTrack – along with satellite messaging, check-in and emergency SOS for when you’re without signal.
The result is an increasingly impressive outdoor device for those that desire to be phone-free. If you want to have someone monitor you from afar while running after dark or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin does so without requiring additional gear.
It is very liberating to be outside without a phone, but that capability carries a significant price, both in terms of the colossal cost of the watch and the recurring fee of the inReach service to enable the service. At least it isn’t reliant on your phone carrier so functions with any brand of smartphone and carrier.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a killer device for someone who dislikes being weighed down by their phone when jogging, cycling or hiking, but nevertheless wants to be locatable and reachable. For everyone else, it is a significant money when the superb Fenix 8 already exists.
Pros: LTE and satellite messaging, super-bright OLED display, monitors all activities with premier GPS, integrated torch, voice and standalone commands, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, complete offline maps and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre underwater use, buttons and touch.
Drawbacks: very expensive, LTE and satellite functions require ongoing payment, limited Garmin Pay financial compatibility, voice capabilities are sluggish, limited smartwatch features compared with Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
