The latest version of the flagship Fenix outdoor timepiece includes a life-saving feature: phone-free messaging and emergency alerts using 4G LTE or satellite connections.
This Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the previously outstanding Fenix 8 by incorporating cutting-edge cellular tech, along with an optional advanced microLED screen in a special edition. This is the brand's premier device and designed to be the only gadget needed to venture virtually any location and monitor all your movements.
This makes it an extremely expensive 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 variant with microLED screen – nearly double the cost of the standard Fenix 8.
You do get a significant functionality for your investment, with best-in-class fitness, activity and adventure monitoring. Its complete offline mapping of the world can automatically direct you back to the path if you get lost without a phone, and appear great on the large, sharp and high-luminance display.
The Fenix 8 Pro is only offered in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, not the smaller 43mm version found in other devices, so it is a large watch for bigger wrists. But the 47mm OLED model as tested does have an additional 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 operates its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and orbital service plan instead of depending on a watch plan tied to your phone carrier, like other wearables. However in contrast to competing satellite-enabled devices, SOS communication is not included for free.
Instead, plans start at £7.99 or similar a month, which provides unlimited LTE text and voice messages, calls and LiveTrack location sharing – so your contacts or loved ones can monitor you while engaged in running, biking or similar activities – plus emergency orbital SOS alerts.
Check-ins and texts via orbital are then charged on top, with higher-tier subscriptions offering various quotas of orbital use, climbing to a £50 a month unlimited subscription. The watch includes a 30-day free trial so you can evaluate the service.
After you have completed setup, you just head out outside without your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You cannot 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 sends them an SMS from a random number, which they can respond to back to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger application, you can then communicate back and forth via typed or spoken messages, and make 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.
Texting on the watch functions fine but typing out texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is slow. It has a set of personalizable canned replies you can send to expedite communication. Voice messages and calls perform OK, although as with most wearables, you’re unlikely going to want to use it for lengthy conversations as the audio clarity is not fantastic.
LiveTrack is the most useful function. You can set it up to automatically transmit a URL to chosen contacts every time you begin an exercise, so they can follow your real time location on a map. It’s excellent for monitoring race performance, but it mostly serves as a utility for someone you rely on to be aware of your whereabouts in case something happens. It has typically worked effectively, though the real position has sometimes been delayed when transitioning in and out of good LTE signal.
These capabilities are accessible on other Garmin watches if you bring your phone with you, but in locations where LTE does not reach, the satellite kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, location check-ins and SOS SOS.
A guide shows you how to find the line of sight to the satellite, which then transmits and gets messages within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was surprisingly straightforward to use and could be a vital lifeline, though it is important to note that satellite service is limited to the US continent, the majority of Canada, and most of Europe excluding parts of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees latitude.
Environmental Impact
The watch is generally serviceable with services available via the support site. The battery is rated to retain at least 90% of its initial power after two years of regular charging. The watch lacks any recycled materials. Garmin provides recycling schemes on recent purchases.
Cost
The Fenix 8 Pro costs from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The optional Garmin inReach service packages cost from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Verdict
The Fenix 8 Pro builds on a excellent outdoor watch in the regular Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for messaging, calls and LiveTrack – along with orbital communication, location update and emergency SOS for when you’re without coverage.
The result is an increasingly impressive adventure device for those that want to be unplugged. If you wish to have someone monitor you remotely while exercising after dark or in the remote areas, the Garmin accomplishes this without needing anything else.
It is quite freeing to be outside without a phone, but that capability comes at a significant price, both in terms of the substantial price of the watch and the recurring subscription of the inReach service to provide the service. At least it isn’t reliant on your phone carrier so functions with any 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 locatable and reachable. For other users, it is a lot of expense when the superb Fenix 8 is already available.
Pros: LTE and orbital messaging, high-luminance OLED screen, tracks everything with premier GPS, integrated flashlight, voice and standalone commands, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, full offline maps and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre diving, buttons and touch.
Cons: very costly, LTE and orbital functions require ongoing subscription, limited Garmin Pay bank support, voice capabilities are slow, limited wearable functionality versus Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
