This newest iteration of the premium Fenix adventure watch introduces a potentially lifesaving capability: no-phone messaging and SOS messaging using 4G LTE or satellite connections.
This Fenix 8 Pro enhances the already outstanding Fenix 8 by adding new mobile technology, along with an available state-of-the-art microLED display in a special edition. This is the brand's top model and engineered to be the single gadget required to venture virtually any location and monitor every activity.
This positions it as an extremely expensive option, priced from £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED version and climbing to a colossal £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm variant with microLED display – almost double the price of the standard Fenix 8.
Users get a lot of features for your money, with industry-leading fitness, activity and outdoor monitoring. Its full offline mapping of the world can seamlessly guide you back to the trail if you get lost absent a phone, and appear great on the large, sharp and high-luminance display.
This Fenix 8 Pro is only offered in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, omitting the more compact 43mm size available in other devices, so it is a large watch for larger wrists. But the 47mm OLED version as reviewed boasts an additional day of watch battery life despite the display on all the time, enduring a solid eight to nine days between charging.
Phone-Free Texting, Calls and Live Tracking
Garmin uses its own inReach LTE (4G) and satellite subscription plan rather than depending on a watch plan tied to your phone provider, as with other smartwatches. However in contrast to Apple or Google's satellite-enabled devices, SOS messaging is not included for free.
Instead, subscriptions begin from £7.99 or similar a month, which provides limitless LTE SMS and voice messages, calls and LiveTrack location sharing – so your friends or family can monitor you while engaged in running, cycling or similar activities – plus emergency satellite SOS messaging.
Check-ins and messages via satellite are then charged on top, with more expensive plans offering various quotas of satellite usage, increasing to a £50 a month unlimited subscription. The watch comes with a 30-day free trial so you can test out the functionality.
After you have completed setup, you simply venture outside without your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You cannot use it for playing music or similar activities, but you are able to make and take calls, send 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 reply to back to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger app, you can then communicate back and forth using typed or spoken communications, and initiate voice calls. Your recipient does not need a Garmin profile to use the Messenger app, just a mobile number is enough to sign up for texts.
Texting on the watch works fine but composing texts on the small on-screen keyboard is slow. It includes a set of customisable pre-set replies you can use to speed things up. Voice messages and calls work OK, although as with most smartwatches, you’re unlikely going to want to use it for extended conversations as the quality is not fantastic.
LiveTrack is the handiest function. You can set it up to on its own transmit a link to chosen contacts every time you begin an activity, so they can track your real time position on a map. It’s great for monitoring race performance, but it primarily serves as a tool for someone you rely on to be aware of your location in case something happens. It has typically functioned effectively, although the actual position has occasionally lagged when transitioning in and out of good LTE coverage.
All of these features are accessible on other Garmin devices if you carry your phone with you, but in areas where LTE does not reach, the orbital kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, position updates and SOS SOS.
A on-screen assistance shows you how to find the line of sight to the satellite, which then sends and receives messages within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was surprisingly straightforward to use and could be a crucial lifeline, however it is essential to note that orbital coverage is restricted to the US continent, the majority of Canada, and the majority of Europe except for regions of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees north.
Environmental Impact
The watch is generally repairable with options offered via the support site. The battery is certified to retain at least 90% of its original power after two years of weekly charging. The watch lacks any reused components. Garmin offers recycling programs on recent purchases.
Price
This Fenix 8 Pro costs from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The optional Garmin inReach service packages begin from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Conclusion
This Fenix 8 Pro takes a excellent adventure watch in the standard Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for texting, calls and LiveTrack – plus orbital communication, location update and emergency SOS for when you’re without signal.
The result is an even more remarkable outdoor device for those that want to be phone-free. If you wish to have someone keep an eye on you remotely while exercising after dark or in the remote areas, the Garmin does so without requiring additional gear.
This is quite liberating to be outdoors without a phone, but that capability carries a significant price, both in terms of the colossal cost of the watch and the monthly fee of the inReach service to provide the service. Fortunately it is not reliant on your phone provider so functions with all brand of smartphone and carrier.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a killer gadget for someone who dislikes being burdened by their phone when running, cycling or trekking, but still wants to be trackable and reachable. For everyone else, it is a significant money when the superb Fenix 8 is already available.
Pros: LTE and satellite communication, high-luminance OLED screen, tracks all activities with premier GPS, integrated flashlight, phone and offline voice control, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, full offline maps and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre underwater use, physical controls and touchscreen.
Drawbacks: extremely costly, LTE and orbital functions require monthly subscription, limited Garmin Pay financial compatibility, speech features are sluggish, limited wearable features versus competing watches.
