This most recent iteration of the premium Fenix adventure watch includes a potentially lifesaving capability: no-phone messaging and emergency alerts via 4G LTE or satellite connections.
This Fenix 8 Pro enhances the previously outstanding Fenix 8 by incorporating new mobile technology, plus an available state-of-the-art microLED display in a limited edition. It is the brand's top device and designed to be the single gadget required to explore virtually any location and monitor every activity.
This makes it an extremely pricey proposition, starting at £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED version and reaching a colossal £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm variant with microLED display – nearly twice the cost of the standard Fenix 8.
Users receive a lot of features for your money, with best-in-class workout, movement and outdoor tracking. Its full offline mapping of the world can seamlessly direct you return to the path if you lose your way absent a phone, and look excellent on the sizable, sharp and super-bright display.
The Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively offered in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, omitting the smaller 43mm size available in other models, so it is a big watch for larger wrists. But the 47mm OLED version as tested does have an extra day of smartwatch battery life despite the screen on all the time, lasting a solid eight to nine days between charging.
Phone-Free Texting, Calls and Live Tracking
The company uses its own inReach LTE (4G) and satellite subscription service rather than depending on a watch plan linked to your mobile carrier, as with other wearables. But unlike competing satellite-enabled devices, SOS communication is not included for free.
Instead, plans begin from £7.99 or equivalent a month, which includes unlimited LTE SMS and audio messages, call functionality and LiveTrack location tracking – so your contacts or family can monitor you while out jogging, biking or comparable activities – along with SOS orbital SOS messaging.
Check-ins and texts over satellite are then billed on top, with higher-tier subscriptions offering various allowances of orbital use, increasing to a £50 a month unlimited subscription. The watch includes a 30-day trial period so you can test out the service.
Once you have completed setup, you simply venture the door without your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You can not use it for playing music or comparable activities, but you are able to place and receive calls, dispatch texts and generally keep in touch with your family and companions.
When you message someone, Garmin sends them an SMS from a arbitrary number, which they can respond to back 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 contact does not need a Garmin account to use the Messenger application, just a phone number is sufficient to register for texts.
Texting on the watch functions adequately but composing texts on the small on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It includes a collection of personalizable canned responses you can use to expedite communication. Voice recordings and calls work OK, though as with the majority of wearables, you’re unlikely going to wish to use it for lengthy discussions as the audio clarity is not ideal.
LiveTrack is the handiest function. You can configure to automatically transmit a URL to chosen contacts every time you start an activity, so they can follow your live location on a map. It’s excellent for following race performance, but it mostly serves as a utility for someone you trust to know your whereabouts in case something happens. It has typically worked well, though the actual position has sometimes lagged when moving in and out of good LTE signal.
All of these capabilities are available on other Garmin devices if you carry your phone with you, but in areas where LTE does not reach, the orbital activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, position check-ins and emergency SOS.
A on-screen assistance displays you how to find the line of sight to the satellite, which then transmits and gets communications within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was unexpectedly straightforward to use and could be a crucial safety feature, however it is essential to remember that orbital service is limited to the US continent, most of Canada, and most of Europe excluding parts of Scandinavia above 65 degrees latitude.
Environmental Impact
The watch is generally repairable with options offered via the support site. The battery is rated to retain at least 90% of its initial power after two years of weekly charging. The watch does not contain any reused materials. Garmin provides disposal schemes 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 packages begin from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Conclusion
The Fenix 8 Pro takes a excellent adventure watch in the regular Fenix 8 and adds LTE for texting, calls and LiveTrack – plus orbital communication, check-in and SOS SOS for when you’re without signal.
The result is an increasingly impressive adventure tool for those that desire to be phone-free. If you wish to have someone monitor you from afar while running out at night or in the remote areas, the Garmin accomplishes this without needing anything else.
This is quite freeing to be outdoors without a phone, but that capability comes at a significant price, both in terms of the substantial cost of the watch and the recurring fee of the inReach plan to enable the features. Fortunately it isn’t dependent on your phone provider so functions with all brand of smartphone and carrier.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a killer gadget for someone who dislikes being burdened by their phone when running, cycling or trekking, but still desires to be trackable and reachable. For everyone else, it is a lot of expense when the excellent Fenix 8 is already available.
Pros: LTE and orbital messaging, high-luminance OLED screen, monitors all activities with best-in-class GPS, integrated torch, phone and standalone commands, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, full offline mapping and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre diving, physical controls and touch.
Drawbacks: extremely costly, LTE and satellite features require monthly payment, limited Garmin Pay financial compatibility, speech features are sluggish, basic wearable functionality compared with Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
