The newest model of the top-tier Fenix adventure watch includes a life-saving capability: no-phone communication and SOS alerts via 4G LTE or satellite connections.
This Fenix 8 Pro enhances the previously outstanding Fenix 8 by adding new mobile technology, along with an available state-of-the-art microLED screen in a limited edition. It is the brand's premier device and engineered to be the single gadget required to venture virtually anywhere and track every activity.
That makes it an extremely 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 edition with microLED display – nearly double the price of the standard Fenix 8.
You do get a lot of functionality for your investment, with industry-leading fitness, movement and adventure tracking. Its complete offline maps of the globe can automatically guide you return to the path if you lose your way absent a phone, and appear excellent on the large, crisp and high-luminance display.
The Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively offered in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, not the more compact 43mm size found in other devices, so it is a large watch for larger wrists. But the 47mm OLED version as reviewed boasts an extra day of watch battery life even with the screen on all the time, lasting a solid eight to nine days between charges.
Phone-Free Texting, Calls and Real-Time Location
Garmin uses its own inReach LTE (4G) and satellite service plan instead of depending on a watch plan tied to your mobile provider, as with other wearables. But unlike Apple or Google's satellite-enabled devices, SOS messaging is not provided for free.
Rather, subscriptions start at £7.99 or similar a month, which includes unlimited LTE SMS and audio messages, call functionality and LiveTrack location sharing – so your friends or loved ones can keep an eye on you while engaged in jogging, cycling or comparable pursuits – plus emergency orbital SOS alerts.
Check-ins and messages over orbital are then billed additionally, with higher-tier subscriptions including various quotas of orbital use, climbing to a £50 a month unlimited plan. The watch comes with a 30-day trial period so you can test out the service.
After you have got it set up, you simply venture the door 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 place and receive calls, send texts and generally stay connected with your family and companions.
Whenever you text someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a arbitrary number, which they can reply to back to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger app, you can then message back and forth via text or spoken messages, and make voice calls. Your contact is not required to have a Garmin profile to use the Messenger app, just a phone number is enough to sign up for texts.
Texting on the watch functions adequately but composing texts on the small on-screen keyboard is slow. It has a set of customisable pre-set responses you can send to expedite communication. Spoken recordings and calls perform OK, though as with the majority of wearables, you’re not going to wish to use it for extended discussions as the quality is less than fantastic.
LiveTrack is the most useful function. You can set it up to automatically transmit a link to selected contacts whenever you start an activity, so they can follow your real time position on a map. It’s great for following race performance, but it primarily serves as a tool for someone you rely on to know your location in case something happens. It has typically worked well, though the real location has sometimes been delayed when transitioning in and out of good LTE coverage.
All of these features are accessible on other Garmin watches if you carry your phone with you, but in locations where LTE does not reach, the orbital kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, location check-ins and SOS SOS.
A guide displays 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 surprisingly easy to use and could be a crucial safety feature, however it is essential to remember that orbital service is restricted to the US mainland, the majority of Canada, and most of Europe excluding regions of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees latitude.
Environmental Impact
The watch is typically serviceable with options available via the customer service portal. The battery is certified to maintain at least 90% of its original capacity after two years of regular charging. The watch lacks any reused materials. Garmin provides disposal schemes on recent 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 packages begin from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Conclusion
The Fenix 8 Pro builds on a fantastic outdoor watch in the regular Fenix 8 and adds LTE for messaging, call functionality and LiveTrack – along with orbital communication, check-in and SOS SOS for when you’re out of coverage.
The result is an even more remarkable outdoor tool for those that want to be phone-free. If you wish to have someone monitor you remotely while running after dark or in the remote areas, the Garmin does so without requiring anything else.
It is very liberating to be outdoors without a phone, but that functionality comes at a significant price, both in terms of the colossal price of the watch and the monthly fee of the inReach service to provide the features. Fortunately it is not 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 dislikes being burdened by their phone when running, biking or hiking, but nevertheless desires to be locatable and contactable. For other users, it is a lot of money when the superb Fenix 8 already exists.
Pros: LTE and orbital communication, super-bright OLED display, monitors all activities with best-in-class GPS, integrated torch, voice and offline commands, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, complete offline maps and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre underwater use, buttons and touchscreen.
Drawbacks: extremely costly, LTE and orbital functions require monthly subscription, restricted Garmin Pay bank compatibility, speech features are slow, limited smartwatch functionality compared with competing watches.
