The latest version of the premium Fenix adventure watch includes a life-saving capability: no-phone messaging and emergency alerts using 4G LTE or orbital connections.
The Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the previously outstanding Fenix 8 by incorporating cutting-edge cellular technology, plus an available advanced microLED screen in a special edition. It is Garmin's premier model and designed to be the single gadget needed to explore virtually any location and monitor all your movements.
This positions it as an extremely expensive option, priced from £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED model and reaching a colossal £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm edition with microLED display – almost double the cost of the standard Fenix 8.
Users get a lot of functionality for your money, with best-in-class fitness, movement and outdoor monitoring. Its full offline maps of the world can automatically guide you back to the trail if you lose your way absent a phone, and appear great on the large, crisp and super-bright touchscreen.
The Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively available in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, omitting the more compact 43mm version available in other models, so it is a big watch for larger wrists. However the 47mm OLED version as reviewed boasts an extra day of watch battery life despite the display on all the time, enduring a reliable eight to nine days between charges.
No-Phone Texting, Calls and Live Tracking
Garmin operates its own inReach LTE (4G) and satellite service service instead of depending on a watch plan linked to your phone carrier, as with other wearables. However in contrast to Apple or Google's satellite-enabled devices, emergency communication is not provided for no cost.
Instead, subscriptions start at £7.99 or equivalent a month, which includes limitless LTE SMS and voice messages, calls and LiveTrack location sharing – so your friends or family can keep an eye on you while out jogging, cycling or comparable pursuits – along with SOS orbital SOS alerts.
Check-ins and texts over satellite are then charged additionally, with more expensive plans offering various quotas of orbital usage, climbing to a £50 a month unlimited subscription. The watch includes a 30-day free trial so you can test out the functionality.
Once you have completed setup, you simply head out the door without your phone and the watch will link to LTE. You cannot use it for streaming music or similar tasks, but you are able to make and take calls, dispatch texts and overall stay connected with your family and friends.
When you message someone, Garmin sends them an SMS from a random number, which they can reply to back to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger app, you can then message back and forth via text or spoken messages, and initiate voice calls. Your recipient is not required to have a Garmin account to use the Messenger app, only a mobile number is enough to sign up for texts.
Texting on the watch functions adequately but composing texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is slow. It includes a collection of customisable canned replies you can use to speed things up. Spoken recordings and calls work OK, although as with the majority of smartwatches, you’re unlikely going to wish to use it for extended discussions as the quality is not fantastic.
LiveTrack is the most useful function. You can set it up to on its own send a link to chosen contacts whenever you begin an activity, so they can follow your real time location on a map. It’s great for following race progress, but it primarily acts as a tool for someone you rely on to know your location in case an incident occurs. It has typically functioned well, though the actual location has occasionally lagged when transitioning in and out of good LTE coverage.
All of these features are accessible on other Garmin devices if you bring your phone with you, but in locations where LTE does not reach, the satellite activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, position updates and emergency SOS.
A guide displays you how to find the line of sight to the orbital system, which then sends and receives communications within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was unexpectedly straightforward to use and could be a vital lifeline, however it is essential to remember that satellite coverage is restricted to the US continent, the majority of Canada, and the majority of Europe except for parts of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees north.
Sustainability
The watch is typically serviceable with services available via the support portal. The battery is certified to retain at least 90% of its original power after two years of weekly charging. The watch does not contain any recycled materials. Garmin provides recycling programs on recent purchases.
Cost
The Fenix 8 Pro is priced from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The additional Garmin inReach service plans begin from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Conclusion
The Fenix 8 Pro builds on a excellent outdoor watch in the standard Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for texting, calls and LiveTrack – along with orbital messaging, check-in and SOS SOS for when you’re out of coverage.
The result is an even more impressive outdoor device for those that want to be unplugged. If you want to have someone monitor you from afar while exercising out at night or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin accomplishes this without requiring anything else.
This is quite freeing to be outdoors without a phone, but that capability carries quite a price, both in terms of the substantial price of the watch and the monthly subscription of the inReach plan to provide the features. At least it isn’t dependent on your phone carrier so works with all make of smartphone and network.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a killer gadget for someone who hates being weighed down by their phone when running, cycling or hiking, but nevertheless desires to be locatable and reachable. For other users, it is a significant money when the superb Fenix 8 already exists.
Pros: LTE and satellite communication, super-bright OLED display, monitors all activities with premier GPS, integrated flashlight, phone and offline commands, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, complete offline maps and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre underwater use, buttons and touch.
Cons: very expensive, LTE and satellite features require monthly subscription, limited Garmin Pay financial compatibility, voice capabilities are slow, basic wearable features compared with competing watches.
