The newest model of the top-tier Fenix adventure timepiece introduces a potentially lifesaving capability: no-phone messaging and emergency alerts using 4G LTE or orbital links.
The Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the already outstanding Fenix 8 by adding cutting-edge mobile technology, plus an optional advanced microLED screen in a special edition. This is Garmin's top model and designed to be the only gadget required to venture virtually any location and monitor all your movements.
This makes it an very pricey proposition, priced from £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED version and reaching a substantial £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm variant with microLED display – almost double the cost of the regular Fenix 8.
Users receive a significant features for your investment, with industry-leading fitness, activity and outdoor tracking. Its complete offline maps of the world can automatically direct you return to the trail if you get lost absent a phone, and appear great on the sizable, crisp and high-luminance touchscreen.
This Fenix 8 Pro is only offered in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, not the smaller 43mm version available in other devices, so it is a large watch for larger wrists. However the 47mm OLED model as reviewed does have an additional day of smartwatch battery life even with the display always active, enduring a solid eight to nine days between charging.
Phone-Free Texting, Calls and Real-Time Location
The company operates its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and satellite subscription plan rather than relying on a watch plan tied to your mobile carrier, as with other wearables. But unlike competing satellite-capable products, SOS communication is not included for free.
Instead, subscriptions begin from £7.99 or similar a month, which includes limitless LTE SMS and audio messages, call functionality and LiveTrack position sharing – so your friends or family can keep an eye on you while out running, biking or similar pursuits – along with SOS orbital SOS alerts.
Location updates and texts over satellite are then billed additionally, with more expensive plans offering different allowances of orbital use, increasing to a £50 a month all-inclusive subscription. The watch includes a 30-day free trial so you can test out the service.
After you have got it set up, you just head out the door minus your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You can not use it for playing music or comparable activities, but you can make and take calls, dispatch texts and overall keep in touch with your family and companions.
Whenever you message someone, Garmin sends them an SMS from a arbitrary phone number, which they can respond to back to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger application, you can then message reciprocally using typed or spoken communications, and initiate voice calls. Your contact does not need a Garmin profile to use the Messenger app, just a phone number is enough to sign up for texts.
Messaging on the watch works fine but composing texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is slow. It has a set of customisable pre-set responses you can use to expedite communication. Voice recordings and calls work acceptably, although as with most smartwatches, you’re not going to wish to use it for lengthy conversations as the audio clarity is less than ideal.
LiveTrack is the most useful function. You can configure to on its own send a link to selected contacts whenever you begin an activity, so they can track your real time position on a map. It’s excellent for following competition performance, but it primarily serves as a utility for someone you rely on to know your location in case something happens. It has typically worked well, although the actual location has sometimes been delayed when moving in and out of strong LTE signal.
All of these features are available on other Garmin devices if you carry your phone with you, but in areas where LTE does not reach, the satellite activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, position updates and SOS SOS.
A guide displays you how to locate the clear view to the orbital system, which then transmits and gets communications within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was surprisingly straightforward to use and could be a vital safety feature, though it is important to remember that orbital service is limited to the US continent, most of Canada, and the majority of Europe excluding regions of Scandinavia above 65 degrees latitude.
Environmental Impact
The watch is generally serviceable with services offered via the support portal. The battery is rated to retain at least 90% of its original power after two years of weekly charging. The watch lacks any reused materials. Garmin offers disposal programs on new purchases.
Price
The Fenix 8 Pro costs from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The optional Garmin inReach service plans cost from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Verdict
This Fenix 8 Pro builds on a fantastic outdoor watch in the standard Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for messaging, calls and LiveTrack – along with satellite communication, check-in and SOS SOS for when you’re without signal.
The result is an increasingly impressive adventure device for those that desire to be unplugged. If you want to have someone monitor you from afar while running out at night or in the remote areas, the Garmin does so without needing additional gear.
This is quite freeing to be outdoors without a phone, but that functionality carries quite a cost, both in terms of the substantial cost of the watch and the monthly fee of the inReach plan to provide the service. Fortunately it is not reliant on your phone carrier so works with any make of smartphone and network.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier gadget for someone who hates being weighed down by their phone when jogging, biking or hiking, but still desires to be trackable and contactable. For other users, it is a significant money when the excellent Fenix 8 already exists.
Advantages: LTE and satellite messaging, super-bright OLED screen, monitors everything with best-in-class GPS, built-in torch, phone and offline commands, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, full offline maps and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre underwater use, buttons and touchscreen.
Cons: extremely costly, LTE and satellite functions require monthly payment, restricted Garmin Pay bank compatibility, speech capabilities are sluggish, basic wearable features compared with Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
