The newest model of the top-tier Fenix adventure timepiece includes a potentially lifesaving capability: no-phone messaging and SOS alerts via 4G LTE or satellite connections.
The Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the previously outstanding Fenix 8 by incorporating new mobile tech, along with an optional advanced microLED display in a limited edition. This is the brand's premier model and designed to be the single gadget required to venture virtually any location and track all your movements.
This positions it as an very expensive proposition, starting at £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED version and climbing to a colossal £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm variant with microLED screen – nearly twice the price of the standard Fenix 8.
You do receive a lot of functionality for your investment, with industry-leading fitness, activity and adventure tracking. The full offline maps of the world can automatically direct you return to the trail if you get lost without a phone, and look great on the sizable, crisp and super-bright display.
The Fenix 8 Pro is only available in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, omitting the smaller 43mm size available in other models, so it is a big watch for larger wrists. However the 47mm OLED version as reviewed does have an extra day of smartwatch battery life despite the display on all the time, enduring a solid eight to nine days between charging.
No-Phone Messaging, Calls and Real-Time Location
The company uses its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and satellite subscription service rather than depending on a watch plan tied to your mobile provider, like other wearables. But unlike competing satellite-capable devices, SOS messaging is not provided for free.
Rather, plans start at £7.99 or equivalent a month, which includes unlimited LTE SMS and voice messaging, call functionality and LiveTrack location tracking – so your friends or family can monitor you while engaged in jogging, cycling or comparable activities – along with emergency orbital SOS messaging.
Check-ins and messages via orbital are then charged additionally, with higher-tier subscriptions including different quotas of orbital use, climbing 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 just venture outside without your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You can not use it for streaming music or similar activities, but you are able to make and take calls, dispatch texts and overall keep in touch with your family and friends.
When you message someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a random 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 communications, and make voice calls. Your recipient does not need a Garmin profile to use the Messenger application, just a phone number is sufficient to sign up for texts.
Texting on the watch functions adequately but composing texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is slow. It has a set of customisable pre-set responses you can use to speed things up. Spoken messages and calls work acceptably, though as with most smartwatches, you’re unlikely going to want to use it for extended conversations as the audio clarity is not fantastic.
LiveTrack is the handiest function. You can configure to automatically send a link to chosen contacts whenever you begin an activity, so they can track your live position on a map. It’s excellent for following competition performance, but it primarily acts as a tool for someone you trust to be aware of your whereabouts in case something happens. It has generally worked well, though the actual location has sometimes lagged when transitioning in and out of strong LTE signal.
All of these features are accessible on other Garmin watches if you bring 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 transmits and gets messages within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was surprisingly straightforward to use and could be a crucial lifeline, though it is important to remember that orbital service is limited to the US continent, the majority of Canada, and the majority of Europe excluding parts of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees latitude.
Environmental Impact
The watch is typically repairable with services offered through the customer service site. The battery is rated to retain at least 90% of its original capacity after two years of regular charging. The watch lacks any recycled materials. Garmin offers 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 additional Garmin inReach service packages begin from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Verdict
The Fenix 8 Pro takes a excellent outdoor watch in the standard Fenix 8 and adds LTE for messaging, calls and LiveTrack – plus orbital communication, check-in and SOS SOS for when you’re without coverage.
The result is an even more impressive adventure tool 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 does so without requiring anything else.
It is very freeing to be outdoors without a phone, but that capability carries quite a cost, both in terms of the substantial cost of the watch and the recurring subscription of the inReach plan to enable the features. At least it is not reliant on your phone carrier so functions with all brand of smartphone and carrier.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a killer device for someone who hates being weighed down by their phone when jogging, biking or hiking, but still wants to be locatable and reachable. For other users, it is a lot of money when the superb Fenix 8 is already available.
Pros: LTE and orbital communication, high-luminance OLED display, tracks everything with premier GPS, integrated torch, phone and standalone commands, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, full offline mapping and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre diving, physical controls and touch.
Drawbacks: extremely costly, LTE and satellite functions require monthly subscription, restricted Garmin Pay bank compatibility, speech features are slow, basic wearable features compared with Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
