The newest iteration of the top-tier Fenix outdoor watch includes a life-saving feature: no-phone messaging and SOS alerts via 4G LTE or satellite links.
This Fenix 8 Pro enhances the previously impressive Fenix 8 by incorporating cutting-edge cellular tech, along with an optional advanced microLED display in a limited edition. It is Garmin's premier model and designed to be the single gadget needed to venture virtually any location and track every activity.
That makes it an very pricey option, 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 variant with microLED display – nearly twice the price of the regular Fenix 8.
You do receive a lot of features for your investment, with industry-leading fitness, movement and adventure tracking. Its complete offline mapping of the globe can seamlessly guide you back to the path if you get lost absent a phone, and look excellent on the sizable, sharp and super-bright display.
The Fenix 8 Pro is only offered in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, omitting the more compact 43mm version available in other devices, so it is a big watch for bigger wrists. But the 47mm OLED model as tested boasts an additional day of smartwatch battery life despite the screen always active, lasting a solid eight to nine days between charges.
Phone-Free Messaging, Calling and Real-Time Location
The company operates its own inReach LTE (4G) and satellite subscription service rather than depending on a watch plan tied to your phone carrier, like other smartwatches. However unlike competing satellite-enabled devices, emergency communication is not provided for no cost.
Instead, plans begin from £7.99 or similar a month, which provides limitless LTE SMS and voice messages, calls and LiveTrack position tracking – so your friends or family can monitor you while out jogging, biking or similar activities – along with emergency orbital SOS alerts.
Check-ins and messages via satellite are then billed on top, with higher-tier plans including different allowances of orbital usage, increasing to a £50 a month all-inclusive plan. The watch includes a 30-day trial period so you can test out the service.
Once you have completed setup, you just venture the door without your phone and the watch will link to LTE. You cannot use it for streaming music or comparable tasks, but you can make and take calls, send texts and overall stay connected with your relatives and companions.
When you text someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a arbitrary phone number, which they can respond to directly to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger app, you can then communicate back and forth via text or spoken messages, and make voice calls. Your recipient does not need a Garmin profile to use the Messenger application, only a phone number is sufficient to sign up for texts.
Texting on the watch works adequately but typing out texts on the small on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It includes a collection of personalizable canned replies you can send to expedite communication. Spoken recordings and calls work acceptably, though as with the majority of smartwatches, you’re unlikely going to want to use it for extended conversations as the audio clarity is less than fantastic.
LiveTrack is the most useful function. You can configure to automatically transmit a URL to selected contacts whenever you start an activity, so they can track your real time location on a map. It’s excellent for monitoring race performance, but it mostly serves as a tool for someone you trust to know your whereabouts in case something happens. It has generally worked effectively, though the real position has occasionally been delayed when moving in and out of good LTE signal.
All of these capabilities are accessible on other Garmin watches if you carry your phone with you, but in areas where LTE lacks coverage, the satellite activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, location check-ins and emergency SOS.
A guide displays you how to locate the clear view to the orbital system, which then sends and receives messages within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was surprisingly straightforward to use and could be a crucial lifeline, however it is essential to remember that orbital service is limited to the US mainland, most of Canada, and the majority of Europe except for parts of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees north.
Environmental Impact
The watch is generally serviceable with services offered via the customer service site. The battery is certified to maintain at least 90% of its initial capacity after two years of regular charging. The watch lacks any reused components. Garmin provides disposal schemes on recent purchases.
Price
The Fenix 8 Pro is priced from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The optional Garmin inReach subscription plans cost 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 adds LTE for messaging, calls and LiveTrack – along with orbital messaging, check-in and emergency SOS for when you’re out of coverage.
The result is an increasingly impressive adventure tool for those that desire to be phone-free. If you want to have someone keep an eye on you remotely while exercising after dark or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin accomplishes this without requiring anything else.
It is very freeing to be outside without a phone, but that capability carries quite a cost, both in terms of the substantial cost of the watch and the recurring subscription of the inReach plan to enable the service. At least it is not reliant on your phone carrier so works with all make of smartphone and network.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier gadget for someone who hates being burdened by their phone when running, cycling or hiking, but still wants to be trackable and reachable. For everyone else, it is a significant expense when the superb Fenix 8 is already available.
Pros: LTE and satellite communication, super-bright OLED display, monitors all activities with best-in-class GPS, integrated flashlight, phone and offline commands, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, full offline mapping and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre underwater use, buttons and touchscreen.
Drawbacks: very expensive, LTE and satellite functions require monthly payment, restricted Garmin Pay bank support, speech capabilities are sluggish, basic smartwatch features compared with competing watches.
