This latest version of the top-tier Fenix adventure watch brings a potentially lifesaving feature: phone-free messaging and emergency alerts via 4G LTE or orbital links.
The Fenix 8 Pro enhances the already outstanding Fenix 8 by adding cutting-edge cellular tech, plus an optional advanced microLED screen in a special edition. It is Garmin's premier model and designed to be the only tool required to venture virtually any location and monitor all your movements.
This makes it an very pricey option, priced from £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED version and reaching a colossal £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm variant with microLED display – nearly twice the cost of the regular Fenix 8.
You do receive a significant functionality for your money, with best-in-class fitness, movement and adventure tracking. Its complete offline mapping of the world can automatically guide you back to the trail if you get lost without a phone, and look excellent on the sizable, sharp and high-luminance display.
This Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively offered in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, omitting the more compact 43mm version found in other models, so it is a large watch for larger wrists. But the 47mm OLED version as tested does have an additional day of watch battery life even with the screen on all the time, enduring a solid eight to nine days between charges.
No-Phone Messaging, Calling and Live Tracking
The company operates its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and satellite service service rather than depending on a watch plan linked to your mobile carrier, like other smartwatches. But unlike competing satellite-capable devices, SOS messaging is not included for free.
Instead, plans begin from £7.99 or equivalent a month, which provides limitless LTE SMS and audio messages, calls and LiveTrack position sharing – so your contacts or loved ones can monitor you while out jogging, cycling or similar pursuits – along with SOS orbital SOS alerts.
Location updates and texts over satellite are then billed on top, with higher-tier plans offering various allowances of orbital use, increasing to a £50 a month all-inclusive plan. The watch comes with a 30-day free trial so you can test out the service.
After you have completed setup, you simply head out outside without your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You can not use it for streaming music or similar tasks, but you are able to place and receive calls, dispatch texts and overall stay connected with your relatives and companions.
When 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 message back and forth via text or spoken messages, and make voice calls. Your contact does not need a Garmin account to use the Messenger app, only a mobile number is sufficient to sign up for texts.
Texting on the watch works fine but typing out texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It includes a set of personalizable pre-set responses you can send to expedite communication. Voice messages and calls work OK, although as with the majority of smartwatches, you’re not going to wish to use it for extended conversations as the audio clarity is less than ideal.
LiveTrack is the most useful function. You can set it up to on its own transmit a URL to selected contacts every time you start an activity, so they can track your live location on a map. It’s excellent for following race progress, but it primarily acts as a utility for someone you trust to be aware of your location in case something happens. It has typically worked well, although the actual position has sometimes been delayed when transitioning in and out of good LTE signal.
All of these capabilities are accessible on other Garmin devices if you bring your phone with you, but in locations where LTE lacks coverage, the satellite activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, position updates and SOS SOS.
A guide displays you how to find the line of sight to the orbital system, which then transmits and gets communications within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was unexpectedly easy to use and could be a crucial safety feature, though it is important to note that orbital service is restricted to the US continent, most of Canada, and the majority of Europe except for regions of Scandinavia above 65 degrees north.
Environmental Impact
The watch is typically serviceable with options offered through the support site. The battery is certified to maintain at least 90% of its original capacity after two years of weekly charging. The watch lacks any reused materials. Garmin provides recycling schemes 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).
Conclusion
This Fenix 8 Pro builds on a excellent outdoor watch in the regular Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for texting, calls and LiveTrack – plus satellite messaging, check-in and emergency SOS for when you’re out of signal.
The result is an increasingly remarkable adventure tool for those that want to be phone-free. If you wish to have someone monitor you remotely while running out at night or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin does so without requiring anything else.
It is quite liberating to be outside without a phone, but that functionality carries a significant cost, both in terms of the substantial cost of the watch and the recurring subscription of the inReach plan to enable the service. At least it is not reliant on your phone provider so functions with any brand of smartphone and network.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a killer device for someone who dislikes being burdened by their phone when jogging, biking or hiking, but nevertheless wants to be trackable and contactable. For other users, it is a significant money when the excellent Fenix 8 already exists.
Advantages: LTE and orbital messaging, super-bright OLED screen, monitors all activities with premier GPS, built-in flashlight, voice and standalone voice control, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, complete offline maps and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre diving, physical controls and touchscreen.
Drawbacks: very expensive, LTE and satellite features require ongoing subscription, restricted Garmin Pay financial support, speech features are slow, limited wearable features compared with competing watches.
