This latest version of Garmin's premium Fenix adventure timepiece brings a life-saving feature: phone-free messaging and SOS alerts using 4G LTE or satellite connections.
The Fenix 8 Pro builds upon the already impressive Fenix 8 by adding cutting-edge mobile tech, plus an available advanced microLED display in a special edition. It is the brand's premier device and designed to be the only gadget needed to venture virtually anywhere and track every activity.
This makes it an extremely pricey proposition, starting at £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 edition with microLED display – almost twice the price of the standard Fenix 8.
You do get a lot of functionality for your investment, with industry-leading workout, activity and outdoor tracking. The complete offline mapping of the world can seamlessly direct you back to the path if you lose your way without a phone, and appear great on the sizable, crisp and super-bright display.
This Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively offered in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, not the more compact 43mm size found in other devices, so it is a big watch for larger wrists. But the 47mm OLED model as tested boasts an additional day of watch battery life even with the screen on all the time, enduring a solid eight to nine days between charges.
No-Phone Texting, Calling and Live Tracking
The company uses its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and satellite subscription service instead of depending on a watch plan tied to your mobile carrier, like other smartwatches. However in contrast to Apple or Google's satellite-enabled products, SOS communication is not provided for free.
Rather, plans begin from £7.99 or similar a month, which provides unlimited LTE text and audio messages, call functionality and LiveTrack location sharing – so your friends or family can keep an eye on you while engaged in jogging, biking or similar activities – plus emergency satellite SOS messaging.
Check-ins and texts via orbital are then charged additionally, with higher-tier plans offering various quotas of satellite usage, increasing to a £50 a month unlimited plan. The watch includes a 30-day trial period so you can test out the functionality.
After you have got it set up, you just venture outside minus your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You can not use it for streaming music or similar tasks, but you are able to make and take calls, dispatch texts and generally stay connected with your family and friends.
Whenever you message someone, Garmin sends them an SMS from a arbitrary phone number, which they can reply to back to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger application, you can then communicate back and forth via 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 sufficient to sign up for texts.
Messaging on the watch functions fine but typing out texts on the small on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It includes a set of customisable pre-set responses you can send to speed things up. Spoken messages and calls perform acceptably, although as with most smartwatches, you’re unlikely going to wish to use it for extended discussions as the quality is less than ideal.
LiveTrack is the handiest function. You can set it up to automatically send a URL to chosen contacts whenever you begin an exercise, so they can follow your live location on a map. It’s excellent for following race performance, but it primarily serves as a tool for someone you trust to know your whereabouts in case something happens. It has generally worked well, although the actual location has sometimes been delayed when transitioning in and out of good LTE coverage.
These features are available on other Garmin devices if you carry your phone with you, but in locations where LTE does not reach, the satellite activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, position updates and emergency SOS.
A guide shows you how to locate the clear view to the orbital system, which then sends and receives communications within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was unexpectedly straightforward to use and could be a vital safety feature, however it is important to note that satellite coverage is restricted to the US mainland, the majority of Canada, and the majority of Europe excluding regions of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees north.
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 original capacity after two years of regular charging. The watch lacks any reused components. Garmin offers recycling schemes on new purchases.
Cost
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).
Verdict
This Fenix 8 Pro takes a fantastic adventure watch in the regular Fenix 8 and adds LTE for texting, calls and LiveTrack – along with orbital messaging, location update and SOS SOS for when you’re without signal.
Outcome is an even more impressive outdoor tool for those that desire to be unplugged. If you want to have someone keep an eye on you from afar while running out at night or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin does so without requiring anything else.
It is quite liberating to be outdoors 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 service to provide the features. At least it isn’t 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 hates being weighed down by their phone when running, cycling or trekking, but nevertheless wants to be locatable and reachable. For other users, it is a significant expense when the superb Fenix 8 already exists.
Pros: LTE and orbital communication, high-luminance OLED display, tracks everything with premier GPS, built-in flashlight, voice and offline commands, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, full offline maps and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre diving, physical controls and touchscreen.
Drawbacks: very costly, LTE and orbital functions need monthly payment, restricted Garmin Pay bank compatibility, voice features are slow, limited smartwatch features compared with competing watches.
