The most recent model of the flagship Fenix adventure timepiece includes a potentially lifesaving capability: no-phone communication and emergency alerts using 4G LTE or satellite links.
This Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the already outstanding Fenix 8 by adding cutting-edge cellular tech, plus an available advanced microLED screen in a special edition. This is the brand's premier device and engineered to be the single gadget needed to venture almost any location and monitor every activity.
This makes it an very expensive option, priced from £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED model and climbing to a substantial £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm variant with microLED screen – nearly double the price of the regular Fenix 8.
Users get a lot of functionality for your investment, with best-in-class workout, activity and outdoor tracking. The complete offline maps of the world can seamlessly direct you back to the path if you get lost without a phone, and appear excellent on the sizable, crisp and high-luminance display.
This Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively available in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, omitting the smaller 43mm size available in other models, so it is a large watch for bigger wrists. However the 47mm OLED model as reviewed boasts an additional day of smartwatch battery life despite the display always active, lasting a solid eight to nine days between charges.
No-Phone Texting, Calls and Live Tracking
Garmin uses its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and satellite service plan rather than relying on a watch plan linked to your mobile provider, as with other smartwatches. But in contrast to competing satellite-enabled devices, SOS messaging is not provided for no cost.
Instead, subscriptions start at £7.99 or equivalent a month, which includes unlimited LTE SMS and voice messages, calls and LiveTrack location tracking – so your friends or family can monitor you while engaged in running, biking or comparable pursuits – along with emergency satellite SOS alerts.
Check-ins and messages via orbital are then charged additionally, with higher-tier subscriptions offering various allowances of satellite use, climbing to a £50 a month all-inclusive subscription. The watch comes with a 30-day free trial so you can evaluate the functionality.
After you have got it set up, you just venture outside without your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You can not use it for playing music or similar tasks, but you can make and take calls, send texts and overall stay connected with your relatives and friends.
Whenever you text someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a random phone number, which they can reply to back to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger application, you can then communicate reciprocally via typed or voice messages, and initiate voice calls. Your recipient is not required to have a Garmin profile to use the Messenger application, only a mobile number is sufficient to sign up for texts.
Texting on the watch functions fine but composing texts on the small on-screen keyboard is slow. It has a collection of personalizable canned replies you can use to speed things up. Spoken messages and calls perform acceptably, though as with the majority of wearables, you’re not going to wish to use it for lengthy discussions as the audio clarity is less than fantastic.
LiveTrack is the most useful feature. You can set it up to on its own send a URL to selected contacts whenever you begin an activity, so they can track your real time location on a map. It’s excellent for following race performance, but it primarily serves as a tool for someone you rely on to be aware of your whereabouts in case an incident occurs. It has typically worked effectively, though the real position has sometimes been delayed when moving in and out of good LTE coverage.
All of these features are available on other Garmin devices if you carry your phone with you, but in areas where LTE does not reach, the orbital kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, position check-ins and emergency SOS.
A on-screen assistance displays you how to find the clear view 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 vital lifeline, however it is essential to remember that orbital coverage is limited to the US continent, most of Canada, and the majority of Europe excluding parts of Scandinavia above 65 degrees north.
Sustainability
The watch is typically repairable with options available through the customer service site. The battery is certified to retain at least 90% of its initial capacity after two years of regular charging. The watch does not contain any recycled components. Garmin provides recycling schemes on recent purchases.
Price
The Fenix 8 Pro costs 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).
Conclusion
The Fenix 8 Pro builds on a excellent adventure watch in the standard Fenix 8 and adds LTE for messaging, calls and LiveTrack – along with orbital messaging, location update and SOS SOS for when you’re out of coverage.
The result is an increasingly remarkable adventure tool for those that desire to be unplugged. If you wish to have someone monitor you from afar while exercising after dark or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin does so without requiring anything else.
This is very freeing to be outside without a phone, but that capability comes at quite a cost, both in terms of the colossal price of the watch and the recurring fee of the inReach service to provide the features. Fortunately it isn’t dependent on your phone provider so functions with all brand of smartphone and network.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a killer device for someone who hates being burdened by their phone when running, biking or trekking, but still desires to be locatable and reachable. For everyone else, it is a significant money when the superb Fenix 8 is already available.
Advantages: LTE and satellite messaging, super-bright OLED display, tracks everything with best-in-class GPS, built-in torch, phone and standalone commands, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, full offline maps and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre diving, physical controls and touch.
Cons: very costly, LTE and satellite features require ongoing subscription, limited Garmin Pay bank support, voice features are slow, limited wearable features compared with Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
