The latest version of the top-tier Fenix adventure timepiece introduces a potentially lifesaving feature: phone-free messaging and emergency messaging via 4G LTE or satellite links.
This Fenix 8 Pro builds upon the already impressive Fenix 8 by incorporating new mobile tech, along with an available advanced microLED display in a limited edition. This is the brand's premier model and engineered to be the single gadget required to venture almost anywhere and monitor all your movements.
This makes it an very pricey option, starting at £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED model and climbing to a substantial £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm edition with microLED display – nearly double the price of the regular Fenix 8.
You do get a significant functionality for your investment, with best-in-class fitness, movement and adventure tracking. Its complete offline maps of the globe can automatically guide you back to the trail if you get lost without a phone, and look excellent on the large, sharp and high-luminance touchscreen.
The Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively offered in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, not the smaller 43mm version found in other devices, so it is a large watch for larger wrists. However the 47mm OLED model as tested boasts an extra day of smartwatch battery life even with the display on all the time, enduring a reliable eight to nine days between charging.
Phone-Free Messaging, Calling and Real-Time Location
The company operates its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and orbital service service instead of relying on a watch plan linked to your mobile provider, as with other smartwatches. But unlike competing satellite-capable products, emergency messaging is not included for free.
Instead, plans start at £7.99 or equivalent a month, which includes unlimited LTE text and audio messages, call functionality and LiveTrack position sharing – so your friends or family can keep an eye on you while engaged in jogging, biking or comparable pursuits – along with SOS satellite SOS messaging.
Check-ins and messages via orbital are then charged additionally, with higher-tier subscriptions including various allowances of satellite usage, increasing to a £50 a month all-inclusive subscription. The watch comes with a 30-day trial period so you can test out the functionality.
After you have got it set up, you just head out the door without your phone and the watch will link to LTE. You can not use it for streaming music or comparable tasks, but you are able to make and take calls, dispatch texts and generally stay connected with your family and friends.
When you text someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a arbitrary phone number, which they can reply to directly to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger application, you can then message reciprocally using typed or voice messages, and initiate voice calls. Your contact is not required to have a Garmin account to use the Messenger application, just a mobile number is sufficient to register for texts.
Messaging on the watch works adequately but composing texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It has a set of customisable canned responses you can use to expedite communication. Voice recordings and calls perform acceptably, though as with most wearables, you’re not going to wish to use it for extended conversations as the audio clarity is not fantastic.
LiveTrack is the most useful function. You can set it up to automatically send a link to chosen contacts every time you start an activity, so they can track your real time position on a map. It’s great for following race progress, but it mostly serves as a tool for someone you trust to know your whereabouts in case something happens. It has typically functioned well, though the actual position has occasionally been delayed when transitioning in and out of strong LTE coverage.
All of these features are available on other Garmin watches if you carry your phone with you, but in locations where LTE lacks coverage, the orbital activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, location updates and emergency SOS.
A guide shows you how to locate 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 vital lifeline, though it is essential to remember that orbital service is limited to the US mainland, the majority of Canada, and most of Europe excluding parts of Scandinavia above 65 degrees latitude.
Environmental Impact
The watch is typically serviceable with services offered via the customer service site. The battery is rated to maintain at least 90% of its original capacity after two years of regular charging. The watch does not contain any reused materials. Garmin offers disposal schemes on recent purchases.
Price
This 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
This Fenix 8 Pro takes a fantastic outdoor watch in the regular Fenix 8 and adds LTE for messaging, calls and LiveTrack – along with satellite messaging, location update and SOS SOS for when you’re out of coverage.
The result is an increasingly impressive adventure device for those that want to be phone-free. If you wish to have someone monitor you from afar while exercising after dark or in the remote areas, the Garmin accomplishes this without needing anything else.
This is very freeing to be outside without a phone, but that functionality carries quite a cost, both in terms of the substantial price of the watch and the monthly subscription of the inReach service to provide the service. Fortunately it is not dependent on your phone carrier so works with all brand of smartphone and network.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier gadget for someone who dislikes being weighed down by their phone when jogging, cycling or trekking, but still wants to be locatable and reachable. For other users, it is a significant expense when the superb Fenix 8 already exists.
Pros: LTE and orbital messaging, super-bright OLED screen, monitors everything with best-in-class GPS, integrated torch, voice and offline voice control, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, complete offline mapping and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre diving, buttons and touchscreen.
Drawbacks: extremely costly, LTE and orbital features require monthly payment, limited Garmin Pay bank support, voice capabilities are slow, basic wearable functionality compared with Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
