The newest model of the premium Fenix adventure timepiece includes a life-saving feature: phone-free messaging and emergency messaging using 4G LTE or orbital links.
This Fenix 8 Pro enhances the already outstanding Fenix 8 by adding cutting-edge mobile technology, plus an optional advanced microLED display in a special edition. It is Garmin's premier device and designed to be the only tool needed to venture virtually any location and monitor all your movements.
This positions it as an very pricey 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 edition with microLED display – almost twice the cost of the regular Fenix 8.
Users get a significant features for your investment, with industry-leading workout, movement and adventure tracking. Its full offline maps of the world can seamlessly guide you back to the path if you get lost absent a phone, and appear great on the large, crisp and high-luminance touchscreen.
This Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively offered in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, not the more compact 43mm version available in other devices, so it is a large watch for larger wrists. But the 47mm OLED version as tested boasts an additional day of smartwatch battery life even with the display on all the time, lasting a reliable eight to nine days between charging.
Phone-Free Texting, Calls and Real-Time Location
The company uses its own inReach LTE (4G) and satellite service plan rather than relying on a watch plan tied to your mobile carrier, as with other wearables. But unlike competing satellite-enabled devices, emergency communication is not provided for free.
Rather, subscriptions begin from £7.99 or similar a month, which provides unlimited LTE SMS and audio messaging, calls and LiveTrack location tracking – so your contacts or family can keep an eye on you while engaged in running, biking or similar pursuits – plus emergency satellite SOS messaging.
Location updates and texts over satellite are then billed on top, with higher-tier subscriptions offering different allowances of orbital usage, climbing to a £50 a month all-inclusive plan. The watch comes with a 30-day trial period so you can evaluate the service.
Once you have got it set up, you just head out the door without your phone and the watch will link 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 family and friends.
Whenever you text 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 application, you can then message back and forth via text or spoken messages, and make voice calls. Your recipient is not required to have a Garmin account to use the Messenger app, only a phone number is sufficient to sign up for texts.
Texting on the watch functions adequately but typing out texts on the small on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It includes a set of customisable pre-set responses you can use to speed things up. Spoken recordings and calls perform acceptably, though as with the majority of smartwatches, you’re unlikely going to want to use it for lengthy discussions as the quality is less than fantastic.
LiveTrack is the most useful function. You can set it up to on its own send a link to selected contacts every time you start an exercise, so they can track your real time location on a map. It’s excellent for following race 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 real position has occasionally been delayed when moving in and out of good LTE signal.
All of these features are available on other Garmin watches if you bring your phone with you, but in areas 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 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 essential to remember that orbital service is limited to the US mainland, most of Canada, and the majority of Europe except for regions of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees north.
Environmental Impact
The watch is typically serviceable with services available through the customer service site. The battery is rated to retain at least 90% of its initial power after two years of weekly charging. The watch lacks any recycled materials. Garmin offers disposal programs on recent purchases.
Cost
The Fenix 8 Pro is priced 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 builds on a excellent outdoor watch in the standard Fenix 8 and adds LTE for texting, calls and LiveTrack – along with orbital communication, location update and emergency SOS for when you’re out of coverage.
The result is an increasingly impressive adventure tool for those that want to be unplugged. If you want to have someone monitor you from afar while running out at night or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin does so without requiring additional gear.
It is quite freeing to be outside without a phone, but that functionality carries a significant cost, both in terms of the colossal price of the watch and the monthly subscription of the inReach service to enable the service. Fortunately 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 dislikes being burdened by their phone when jogging, biking or hiking, but nevertheless wants to be trackable and reachable. For other users, it is a lot of expense when the superb Fenix 8 already exists.
Advantages: LTE and satellite communication, high-luminance OLED screen, monitors all activities with premier GPS, integrated flashlight, phone and standalone commands, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, complete offline maps and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre underwater use, buttons and touchscreen.
Drawbacks: very costly, LTE and satellite functions need monthly subscription, limited Garmin Pay bank compatibility, voice features are sluggish, limited wearable features compared with Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
