The newest version of the flagship Fenix adventure timepiece includes a potentially lifesaving feature: phone-free messaging and emergency alerts via 4G LTE or satellite connections.
The Fenix 8 Pro enhances the already outstanding Fenix 8 by incorporating cutting-edge cellular tech, plus an optional advanced microLED display in a limited edition. This is the brand's premier device and designed to be the only tool required to explore virtually any location and track all your movements.
This positions it as an extremely expensive proposition, priced from £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 edition with microLED display – almost twice the price of the regular Fenix 8.
You do get a lot of features for your money, with industry-leading fitness, activity and adventure tracking. Its full offline mapping of the globe 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.
This Fenix 8 Pro is only available in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, omitting the smaller 43mm size found in other devices, so it is a big watch for larger wrists. However the 47mm OLED model as reviewed boasts an additional day of watch battery life even with the screen on all the time, enduring a solid eight to nine days between charging.
Phone-Free Texting, Calls and Real-Time Location
Garmin uses its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and orbital service plan rather than depending on a watch plan tied to your mobile provider, as with other smartwatches. But unlike competing satellite-capable devices, emergency communication is not included for free.
Instead, plans start at £7.99 or similar a month, which provides unlimited LTE SMS and voice messages, calls and LiveTrack position tracking – so your contacts or family can keep an eye on you while engaged in jogging, cycling or comparable activities – along with SOS satellite SOS messaging.
Check-ins and messages over orbital are then charged additionally, with higher-tier subscriptions including different allowances of satellite usage, increasing to a £50 a month all-inclusive plan. The watch comes with a 30-day trial period so you can evaluate the functionality.
After you have completed setup, you just venture outside minus your phone and the watch will link to LTE. You cannot use it for streaming music or comparable activities, but you are able to make and take calls, send texts and generally keep in touch with your relatives and companions.
Whenever you message someone, Garmin sends them an SMS from a arbitrary number, which they can respond to directly to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger application, you can then communicate back and forth via text or voice communications, and make voice calls. Your contact does not need a Garmin account to use the Messenger app, just a mobile number is enough to sign up for texts.
Texting on the watch functions fine but typing out 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 messages and calls work OK, though as with most wearables, you’re unlikely going to want to use it for lengthy conversations as the audio clarity is less than ideal.
LiveTrack is the most useful feature. You can set it up to automatically transmit a link to selected contacts whenever you start an exercise, so they can follow your real time position on a map. It’s excellent for following race performance, but it mostly acts as a tool for someone you trust to know your whereabouts in case something happens. It has typically functioned effectively, although the real location has occasionally lagged when moving in and out of strong LTE coverage.
These capabilities are accessible on other Garmin devices if you bring your phone with you, but in areas where LTE does not reach, the satellite activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, location check-ins and SOS SOS.
A on-screen assistance displays you how to find the clear view to the satellite, which then sends and receives messages within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was unexpectedly straightforward to use and could be a crucial safety feature, though it is important to remember that satellite coverage is limited to the US mainland, the majority of Canada, and most of Europe except for regions of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees north.
Environmental Impact
The watch is generally serviceable with options available via the support site. The battery is rated to retain at least 90% of its initial capacity after two years of regular charging. The watch does not contain any reused components. Garmin offers disposal programs on recent purchases.
Cost
This Fenix 8 Pro is priced from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The optional Garmin inReach service plans begin from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Conclusion
This Fenix 8 Pro builds on a fantastic outdoor watch in the standard Fenix 8 and adds LTE for messaging, call functionality and LiveTrack – plus satellite communication, location update and emergency SOS for when you’re without coverage.
The result is an increasingly impressive adventure device for those that desire to be phone-free. If you want to have someone keep an eye on you remotely while running 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 capability comes at quite a cost, both in terms of the substantial cost of the watch and the recurring fee of the inReach service to provide the service. At least it isn’t reliant on your phone provider so works with all brand of smartphone and network.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier device for someone who dislikes being weighed down by their phone when jogging, cycling or hiking, but still desires to be locatable and reachable. For other users, it is a significant expense when the superb Fenix 8 already exists.
Advantages: LTE and satellite communication, super-bright OLED display, tracks all activities with best-in-class GPS, built-in flashlight, voice and standalone commands, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, complete offline maps and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre diving, physical controls and touchscreen.
Cons: very costly, LTE and satellite functions need ongoing subscription, limited Garmin Pay bank support, speech features are slow, limited wearable features compared with competing watches.
