This most recent model of the premium Fenix outdoor timepiece includes a potentially lifesaving capability: phone-free communication and SOS alerts using 4G LTE or orbital connections.
The Fenix 8 Pro enhances the previously outstanding Fenix 8 by incorporating new cellular technology, along with an available state-of-the-art microLED screen in a special edition. It is the brand's top model and engineered to be the single gadget needed to explore virtually any location and track all your movements.
That positions it as an very pricey option, 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 edition with microLED screen – nearly double the price of the regular Fenix 8.
Users receive a significant functionality for your money, with industry-leading fitness, activity and outdoor monitoring. The full offline maps of the globe can seamlessly direct you back to the path if you lose your way without a phone, and look excellent on the large, sharp and high-luminance touchscreen.
The Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively available in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, omitting the smaller 43mm version available in other devices, so it is a big watch for larger wrists. However the 47mm OLED version as tested does have an extra day of smartwatch battery life despite the display always active, enduring a reliable eight to nine days between charging.
Phone-Free Texting, Calls and Real-Time Location
The company uses its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and satellite subscription service rather than relying on a watch plan linked to your mobile provider, like other wearables. However unlike Apple or Google's satellite-enabled products, SOS communication is not included for free.
Instead, plans start at £7.99 or similar a month, which provides unlimited LTE text and audio messages, calls and LiveTrack position tracking – so your friends or loved ones can monitor you while out jogging, cycling or similar activities – plus emergency orbital SOS messaging.
Location updates and messages over satellite are then billed additionally, with more expensive subscriptions offering different allowances of satellite use, increasing to a £50 a month all-inclusive subscription. The watch includes a 30-day trial period so you can evaluate the functionality.
After you have completed setup, you simply head out the door without your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You can not use it for streaming music or similar activities, but you can place and receive calls, dispatch texts and overall stay connected with your relatives and companions.
Whenever 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 communicate back and forth via text or voice messages, and initiate voice calls. Your recipient does not need a Garmin profile to use the Messenger application, only a phone number is sufficient to sign up for texts.
Messaging on the watch functions fine but typing out texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It has a collection of personalizable pre-set responses you can send to speed things up. Spoken messages and calls perform OK, though 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 URL to selected contacts whenever you start an activity, so they can track your real time location on a map. It’s great for following competition progress, but it mostly serves as a utility for someone you trust to be aware of your whereabouts in case something happens. It has generally worked well, although the real position has occasionally been delayed when transitioning in and out of good LTE signal.
These capabilities are accessible on other Garmin devices if you bring your phone with you, but in areas where LTE does not reach, the orbital kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, location updates and SOS SOS.
A guide displays you how to find the line of sight to the orbital system, which then sends and receives messages within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was unexpectedly straightforward to use and could be a vital lifeline, though it is important to note that satellite coverage is restricted to the US continent, most of Canada, and most of Europe except for regions of Scandinavia above 65 degrees latitude.
Environmental Impact
The watch is typically repairable with services offered via the customer service site. The battery is rated to retain at least 90% of its initial capacity after two years of regular charging. The watch does not contain any reused 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 additional Garmin inReach service packages begin from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Verdict
This Fenix 8 Pro takes a fantastic adventure watch in the standard Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for texting, call functionality and LiveTrack – plus satellite communication, location update and emergency SOS for when you’re without coverage.
Outcome is an increasingly impressive adventure device for those that desire to be phone-free. If you wish to have someone keep an eye on you from afar while exercising out at night or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin does so without needing anything else.
It is quite liberating to be outside without a phone, but that functionality carries quite a price, both in terms of the substantial price of the watch and the recurring fee of the inReach plan to enable the service. Fortunately it isn’t dependent on your phone provider so functions with all brand of smartphone and network.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a killer device for someone who hates being weighed down by their phone when running, biking or trekking, but still desires to be trackable and reachable. For everyone else, it is a significant expense when the superb Fenix 8 is already available.
Advantages: LTE and orbital messaging, super-bright OLED screen, tracks everything with best-in-class GPS, built-in torch, voice and offline commands, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, full offline mapping and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre underwater use, buttons and touchscreen.
Drawbacks: extremely costly, LTE and orbital features require ongoing subscription, restricted Garmin Pay bank compatibility, speech features are slow, basic smartwatch functionality versus competing watches.
