The most recent iteration of the premium Fenix adventure timepiece brings a potentially lifesaving capability: no-phone messaging and SOS alerts using 4G LTE or satellite connections.
The Fenix 8 Pro enhances the previously impressive Fenix 8 by adding cutting-edge mobile tech, along with an optional advanced microLED display in a limited edition. This is the brand's top device and designed to be the single gadget needed to venture almost any location and track every activity.
That makes it an extremely pricey proposition, 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.
You do receive a lot of functionality for your investment, with best-in-class workout, activity and outdoor tracking. Its full offline mapping of the world can seamlessly direct you back to the path if you lose your way without a phone, and appear excellent on the large, sharp and high-luminance display.
This Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively available in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, omitting the more compact 43mm version available in other devices, so it is a big watch for larger wrists. However the 47mm OLED model as tested boasts an additional day of watch battery life despite the display on all the time, enduring a solid eight to nine days between charges.
No-Phone Texting, Calls and Real-Time Location
The company operates its own inReach LTE (4G) and orbital service service rather than depending on a watch plan tied to your phone provider, as with other wearables. However in contrast to Apple or Google's satellite-enabled products, SOS communication is not provided for free.
Instead, subscriptions begin from £7.99 or similar a month, which provides limitless LTE SMS and audio messaging, calls and LiveTrack position tracking – so your friends or family can keep an eye on you while out jogging, cycling or comparable activities – plus emergency satellite SOS alerts.
Check-ins and texts over satellite are then billed on top, with higher-tier plans offering different quotas of satellite use, increasing to a £50 a month unlimited plan. The watch comes with a 30-day trial period so you can evaluate the functionality.
Once you have got it set up, you simply head out outside without your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You can not use it for streaming music or comparable activities, but you can make and take calls, send texts and generally keep in touch with your family and friends.
Whenever you message someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a random phone number, which they can reply to directly to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger app, you can then communicate back and forth via text or voice communications, and make voice calls. Your contact is not required to have a Garmin account to use the Messenger application, only a mobile number is sufficient to register for texts.
Texting on the watch functions adequately but composing texts on the small on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It includes a collection of customisable pre-set responses you can send to speed things up. Voice messages and calls perform acceptably, though as with the majority of wearables, you’re unlikely going to want to use it for lengthy conversations as the quality is not fantastic.
LiveTrack is the handiest function. You can configure to automatically send a link to selected contacts every time you start an activity, so they can track your real time location on a map. It’s great for following race performance, but it mostly serves as a tool for someone you rely on to know your whereabouts in case something happens. It has typically functioned effectively, though the real location has sometimes lagged when transitioning in and out of good LTE coverage.
These features are accessible on other Garmin watches if you carry your phone with you, but in areas where LTE does not reach, the satellite activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, position check-ins and SOS SOS.
A on-screen assistance displays you how to find the clear view to the satellite, which then transmits and gets messages within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was surprisingly easy to use and could be a crucial safety feature, however it is essential to note that orbital service is restricted to the US mainland, the majority of Canada, and the majority of Europe except for parts of Scandinavia above 65 degrees latitude.
Environmental Impact
The watch is generally repairable with options offered through the support portal. The battery is certified to retain at least 90% of its initial power after two years of regular charging. The watch does not contain any recycled materials. Garmin provides disposal schemes on new 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).
Verdict
The Fenix 8 Pro takes a excellent outdoor watch in the regular Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for texting, calls and LiveTrack – plus orbital communication, location update and SOS SOS for when you’re out of coverage.
Outcome is an increasingly remarkable adventure device for those that want to be unplugged. If you want to have someone monitor you from afar while exercising after dark or in the remote areas, the Garmin does so without requiring anything else.
This is very liberating to be outside without a phone, but that functionality comes at a significant price, both in terms of the colossal cost of the watch and the recurring subscription of the inReach service to provide the service. At least it isn’t dependent on your phone provider so works with any brand of smartphone and network.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier device for someone who hates being weighed down by their phone when running, cycling or hiking, but still wants to be locatable and reachable. For everyone else, it is a lot of money when the superb Fenix 8 already exists.
Pros: LTE and satellite messaging, super-bright OLED screen, monitors everything with premier GPS, integrated flashlight, voice and offline voice control, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, complete offline maps and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre diving, physical controls and touch.
Cons: extremely expensive, LTE and satellite features need ongoing payment, restricted Garmin Pay bank compatibility, speech capabilities are slow, basic wearable functionality versus competing watches.
