The most recent version of the top-tier Fenix adventure timepiece brings a potentially lifesaving feature: no-phone communication and SOS messaging using 4G LTE or satellite connections.
This Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the previously outstanding Fenix 8 by adding new cellular technology, plus an available advanced microLED display in a special edition. This is the brand's top model and engineered to be the only gadget needed to explore almost anywhere and track every activity.
That makes it an very expensive option, starting at £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED model and climbing to a colossal £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm edition with microLED screen – almost twice the price of the regular Fenix 8.
Users receive a lot of functionality for your money, with industry-leading fitness, activity and adventure tracking. Its complete offline maps of the world can seamlessly guide you back to the trail if you lose your way absent a phone, and appear excellent on the sizable, crisp and super-bright display.
This Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively offered in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, omitting the more compact 43mm size found in other devices, so it is a big watch for larger wrists. However the 47mm OLED version as tested boasts an additional day of smartwatch battery life despite the screen always active, lasting a reliable eight to nine days between charges.
Phone-Free Messaging, Calls and Live Tracking
Garmin uses its own inReach LTE (4G) and orbital service plan rather than relying on a watch plan tied to your mobile carrier, like other smartwatches. However unlike competing satellite-enabled products, emergency communication is not provided for free.
Rather, subscriptions begin from £7.99 or similar a month, which provides unlimited LTE SMS and voice messaging, calls and LiveTrack location sharing – so your friends or loved ones can monitor you while engaged in jogging, cycling or comparable pursuits – along with SOS satellite SOS messaging.
Location updates and messages via satellite are then charged additionally, with higher-tier subscriptions offering different quotas of orbital use, climbing to a £50 a month all-inclusive subscription. The watch comes with a 30-day trial period so you can test out the service.
Once you have got it set up, you just venture outside minus your phone and the watch will link to LTE. You can not use it for playing music or comparable activities, but you are able to make and take calls, dispatch texts and overall keep in touch with your relatives and friends.
When you text someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a random phone number, which they can reply to directly to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger app, you can then message back and forth using typed or voice messages, and initiate voice calls. Your recipient is not required to have a Garmin account to use the Messenger app, only a mobile number is enough to sign up for texts.
Texting on the watch functions adequately but typing out texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is slow. It has a set of customisable canned responses you can send to expedite communication. Spoken recordings and calls work OK, 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 ideal.
LiveTrack is the most useful function. You can set it up to on its own send a link to selected contacts whenever you begin an exercise, so they can track your real time position on a map. It’s great for monitoring race progress, but it primarily acts as a utility for someone you trust to know your whereabouts in case something happens. It has generally worked effectively, although the actual location has occasionally been delayed when moving in and out of strong LTE signal.
All of these capabilities are available on other Garmin devices if you bring your phone with you, but in locations where LTE lacks coverage, the satellite activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, position check-ins and emergency SOS.
A guide shows 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 safety feature, however it is essential to remember that satellite coverage is restricted to the US mainland, most of Canada, and most of Europe excluding regions of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees latitude.
Sustainability
The watch is typically repairable with services available via the support site. The battery is rated to retain 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 costs from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The additional Garmin inReach subscription plans begin from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Verdict
This Fenix 8 Pro builds on a fantastic adventure watch in the regular Fenix 8 and adds LTE for messaging, calls and LiveTrack – plus orbital messaging, check-in and emergency SOS for when you’re without signal.
The result is an increasingly remarkable outdoor tool for those that desire 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 needing anything else.
It is quite freeing to be outdoors without a phone, but that functionality comes at a significant price, both in terms of the substantial price of the watch and the recurring subscription of the inReach service to enable the features. Fortunately it is not reliant on your phone provider so works with all brand of smartphone and network.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier gadget for someone who dislikes being weighed down by their phone when jogging, biking or hiking, but nevertheless desires to be trackable and contactable. For other users, it is a lot of money when the excellent Fenix 8 already exists.
Advantages: LTE and satellite messaging, 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 diving, buttons and touchscreen.
Drawbacks: very expensive, LTE and orbital functions require ongoing payment, restricted Garmin Pay bank support, voice capabilities are slow, basic smartwatch functionality versus competing watches.
