The newest version of the top-tier Fenix outdoor watch includes a life-saving feature: phone-free communication and emergency messaging via 4G LTE or orbital links.
The Fenix 8 Pro enhances the previously outstanding Fenix 8 by incorporating cutting-edge cellular technology, along with an optional advanced microLED display in a special edition. It is Garmin's top device and engineered to be the single gadget needed to explore virtually any location and monitor all your movements.
This makes it an very expensive option, priced from £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED version and climbing to a substantial £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm variant with microLED display – almost double the price of the standard Fenix 8.
You do get a lot of functionality for your money, with industry-leading workout, activity and adventure tracking. The complete offline maps of the globe can seamlessly direct you return to the trail if you lose your way without a phone, and look excellent on the large, sharp and high-luminance touchscreen.
This Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively available in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, omitting the smaller 43mm version available in other devices, so it is a big watch for bigger wrists. But the 47mm OLED version as tested boasts 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 Texting, Calls and Real-Time Location
The company operates its own inReach LTE (4G) and satellite subscription service instead of depending on a watch plan tied to your mobile provider, as with other wearables. However unlike Apple or Google's satellite-enabled products, emergency messaging is not provided for no cost.
Instead, subscriptions start at £7.99 or equivalent a month, which includes limitless LTE text and voice messaging, call functionality and LiveTrack location sharing – so your friends or loved ones can keep an eye on you while out running, cycling or comparable pursuits – along with emergency orbital SOS alerts.
Location updates and texts via orbital are then billed on top, with higher-tier subscriptions offering various quotas of orbital usage, increasing to a £50 a month unlimited subscription. The watch comes with a 30-day free trial so you can evaluate the service.
Once you have completed setup, you simply venture the door without your phone and the watch will link to LTE. You can not use it for streaming music or comparable tasks, but you can make and take calls, dispatch texts and generally keep in touch with your relatives and companions.
Whenever you message someone, Garmin sends them an SMS from a random phone number, which they can respond to back to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger application, you can then communicate reciprocally using text or spoken messages, and initiate voice calls. Your recipient is not required to have a Garmin account to use the Messenger app, just a mobile number is enough to register for texts.
Messaging on the watch works adequately but typing out texts on the small on-screen keyboard is slow. It includes a collection of personalizable canned responses you can send to speed things up. Spoken messages and calls work OK, although as with most wearables, you’re not going to wish to use it for lengthy conversations as the audio clarity is not fantastic.
LiveTrack is the most useful feature. You can configure to on its own transmit a URL to selected contacts whenever you begin an activity, so they can follow your real time position on a map. It’s excellent for following race performance, but it mostly acts as a utility for someone you rely on to know your whereabouts in case something happens. It has generally worked effectively, though the actual position has occasionally lagged when moving in and out of good LTE signal.
These capabilities are accessible on other Garmin devices if you carry your phone with you, but in areas where LTE lacks coverage, the satellite kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, location check-ins and SOS SOS.
A on-screen assistance 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 unexpectedly straightforward to use and could be a vital lifeline, however it is essential to remember that orbital service is restricted to the US continent, the majority of Canada, and the majority of Europe excluding regions of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees latitude.
Environmental Impact
The watch is generally repairable with options available via the support portal. The battery is certified to maintain at least 90% of its initial capacity after two years of regular charging. The watch lacks any recycled components. Garmin provides recycling schemes 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 subscription packages cost from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Verdict
This Fenix 8 Pro builds on a excellent outdoor watch in the standard Fenix 8 and adds LTE for texting, call functionality and LiveTrack – plus orbital communication, location update and SOS SOS for when you’re without signal.
The result 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 accomplishes this without needing additional gear.
It is quite liberating to be outdoors without a phone, but that functionality carries a significant cost, both in terms of the substantial price of the watch and the recurring fee of the inReach plan to provide the service. Fortunately it isn’t dependent on your phone provider so functions with any brand of smartphone and network.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier gadget for someone who hates being weighed down by their phone when running, cycling or hiking, but still desires to be trackable and contactable. For everyone else, it is a significant money when the excellent Fenix 8 is already available.
Advantages: LTE and satellite communication, high-luminance OLED screen, monitors everything with premier GPS, built-in torch, voice and standalone commands, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, complete offline maps and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre underwater use, physical controls and touchscreen.
Drawbacks: extremely expensive, LTE and satellite features need ongoing subscription, restricted Garmin Pay bank support, voice capabilities are sluggish, limited wearable features compared with Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
