The latest version of the premium Fenix adventure watch brings a potentially lifesaving feature: no-phone messaging and emergency alerts via 4G LTE or orbital connections.
This Fenix 8 Pro builds upon the already impressive Fenix 8 by incorporating cutting-edge cellular tech, plus an available advanced microLED display in a special edition. This is the brand's top model and engineered to be the only tool required to explore virtually anywhere and monitor all your movements.
This positions it as an very expensive option, starting at £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 screen – nearly twice the cost of the regular Fenix 8.
Users get a significant features for your money, with best-in-class workout, movement and adventure tracking. The full offline maps of the globe can automatically guide you back to the path if you lose your way absent a phone, and appear great on the sizable, crisp and high-luminance touchscreen.
This Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively available in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, not the smaller 43mm version available in other devices, so it is a large watch for bigger wrists. However the 47mm OLED model as reviewed does have an extra day of watch battery life even with the screen on all the time, enduring a reliable eight to nine days between charges.
No-Phone Messaging, Calls and Real-Time Location
The company operates its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and orbital subscription plan rather than depending on a watch plan linked to your phone provider, like other smartwatches. However in contrast to 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 voice messages, call functionality and LiveTrack position sharing – so your contacts or loved ones can monitor you while engaged in running, biking or comparable activities – along with SOS satellite SOS alerts.
Location updates and texts over satellite are then billed additionally, with more expensive plans including various allowances of satellite use, increasing to a £50 a month unlimited subscription. The watch includes a 30-day trial period so you can evaluate the service.
Once you have completed setup, you simply venture the door without your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You cannot use it for streaming music or comparable tasks, but you are able to place and receive calls, dispatch texts and generally keep in touch with your family and friends.
When you text someone, Garmin sends them an SMS from a arbitrary phone number, which they can respond to back to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger application, you can then communicate back and forth using typed or voice messages, and make voice calls. Your recipient does not need a Garmin account to use the Messenger application, just a phone number is enough to register for texts.
Messaging on the watch functions fine but composing texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is slow. It includes a collection of personalizable pre-set responses you can use to speed things up. Spoken recordings and calls perform OK, though as with the majority of smartwatches, you’re not going to wish to use it for lengthy discussions as the audio clarity is less than ideal.
LiveTrack is the handiest feature. You can configure to on its own transmit a URL to selected contacts whenever you begin an activity, so they can follow your live position on a map. It’s great for following competition performance, but it primarily acts as a tool for someone you trust to know your whereabouts in case something happens. It has generally worked well, though the actual location has sometimes lagged when transitioning in and out of good LTE coverage.
These capabilities are available on other Garmin watches if you bring your phone with you, but in areas where LTE does not reach, the satellite activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, position updates and emergency SOS.
A guide displays you how to locate the line of sight to the orbital system, which then transmits and gets communications within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was surprisingly straightforward to use and could be a crucial safety feature, however it is important to note that orbital coverage is limited to the US continent, most of Canada, and most of Europe excluding regions of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees latitude.
Sustainability
The watch is generally repairable with services offered through the customer service site. The battery is certified to retain at least 90% of its original capacity after two years of weekly charging. The watch does not contain any recycled components. Garmin provides recycling programs on new purchases.
Cost
The 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).
Verdict
This Fenix 8 Pro takes a excellent outdoor watch in the standard Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for texting, calls and LiveTrack – along with satellite communication, check-in and SOS SOS for when you’re without coverage.
Outcome is an increasingly impressive adventure device for those that want to be unplugged. If you want to have someone keep an eye on you from afar while running after dark or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin accomplishes this without needing anything else.
This is very freeing to be outdoors without a phone, but that functionality carries quite a price, both in terms of the substantial price of the watch and the monthly fee of the inReach plan to enable 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 top-tier gadget for someone who dislikes being weighed down by their phone when running, cycling or trekking, but still wants to be trackable and contactable. For other users, it is a lot of money when the superb Fenix 8 is already available.
Advantages: LTE and orbital messaging, high-luminance OLED screen, monitors all activities with premier GPS, integrated torch, voice and offline commands, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, full offline maps and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre underwater use, physical controls and touch.
Cons: extremely costly, LTE and orbital functions need monthly payment, limited Garmin Pay financial compatibility, speech features are sluggish, basic wearable features compared with Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
