The most recent version of the premium Fenix adventure timepiece includes a life-saving feature: no-phone communication and SOS messaging using 4G LTE or orbital links.
This Fenix 8 Pro builds upon the previously impressive Fenix 8 by adding new cellular technology, along with an optional advanced microLED display in a special edition. This is the brand's top model and designed to be the single tool needed to venture virtually any location and monitor all your movements.
This positions it as an extremely pricey proposition, starting at £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED version and reaching a colossal £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm variant with microLED display – almost twice the price of the standard Fenix 8.
Users get a significant functionality for your investment, with best-in-class workout, movement and outdoor tracking. Its complete offline mapping of the world can seamlessly direct you return to the path if you lose your way absent a phone, and look excellent on the large, sharp and high-luminance display.
This Fenix 8 Pro is only offered in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, not the smaller 43mm size found in other devices, so it is a big watch for larger wrists. However the 47mm OLED version as tested boasts an additional day of smartwatch battery life even with the display always active, lasting a solid eight to nine days between charges.
Phone-Free Messaging, Calls and Real-Time Location
Garmin operates its own inReach LTE (4G) and orbital subscription service instead of depending on a watch plan linked to your phone carrier, like other smartwatches. However in contrast to competing satellite-enabled devices, emergency communication is not provided for free.
Instead, subscriptions begin from £7.99 or equivalent a month, which provides unlimited LTE SMS and voice messaging, calls and LiveTrack location sharing – so your friends or loved ones can keep an eye on you while out jogging, cycling or similar pursuits – plus emergency orbital SOS alerts.
Check-ins and texts over satellite are then charged on top, with more expensive subscriptions including different quotas of satellite usage, climbing to a £50 a month all-inclusive subscription. The watch includes a 30-day free trial so you can evaluate the functionality.
After you have got it set up, you simply head out outside minus your phone and the watch will link to LTE. You can not use it for streaming music or comparable tasks, but you can make and take calls, dispatch texts and generally stay connected with your relatives and companions.
Whenever you message someone, Garmin sends them an SMS from a arbitrary phone number, which they can respond to directly to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger application, you can then communicate reciprocally using typed or spoken messages, and initiate voice calls. Your contact is not required to have a Garmin account to use the Messenger app, just a phone number is enough to register for texts.
Texting on the watch functions fine but composing texts on the small on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It includes a set of customisable canned replies you can use to speed things up. Voice recordings and calls perform OK, though as with the majority of wearables, you’re unlikely going to want to use it for lengthy discussions as the quality is not ideal.
LiveTrack is the handiest feature. You can set it up to automatically send a URL to selected contacts every time you begin an exercise, so they can track your live location on a map. It’s excellent for following competition performance, but it mostly serves as a tool for someone you trust to be aware of your whereabouts in case something happens. It has typically functioned well, although the real location has sometimes been delayed when transitioning in and out of strong LTE coverage.
All of these features are accessible on other Garmin watches if you carry your phone with you, but in locations where LTE does not reach, the orbital activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, location check-ins and SOS SOS.
A on-screen assistance shows you how to locate the line of sight to the orbital system, which then sends and receives messages within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was surprisingly easy to use and could be a vital safety feature, however it is essential to note that satellite service is limited to the US continent, most of Canada, and most of Europe except for regions of Scandinavia above 65 degrees north.
Sustainability
The watch is typically repairable with options offered via the support site. The battery is rated to retain at least 90% of its initial power after two years of regular charging. The watch does not contain any reused components. Garmin offers recycling schemes on recent purchases.
Cost
The Fenix 8 Pro costs from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The optional Garmin inReach service packages cost from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Verdict
The Fenix 8 Pro builds on a excellent adventure watch in the standard Fenix 8 and adds LTE for texting, calls and LiveTrack – along with orbital messaging, check-in and SOS SOS for when you’re without signal.
Outcome is an increasingly remarkable adventure 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 additional gear.
This is quite freeing to be outdoors without a phone, but that capability carries 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 isn’t 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 dislikes being burdened by their phone when running, cycling or trekking, but nevertheless desires to be trackable and reachable. For everyone else, it is a significant money when the superb Fenix 8 is already available.
Advantages: LTE and orbital communication, high-luminance OLED screen, tracks all activities with premier GPS, integrated flashlight, phone and offline commands, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, complete offline mapping and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre diving, buttons and touch.
Drawbacks: very costly, LTE and satellite functions need monthly payment, restricted Garmin Pay bank support, speech capabilities are sluggish, basic wearable features compared with competing watches.
