The most recent version of the premium Fenix adventure timepiece brings a potentially lifesaving feature: no-phone communication and emergency messaging using 4G LTE or satellite connections.
The Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the previously outstanding Fenix 8 by incorporating new mobile technology, along with an available state-of-the-art microLED screen in a limited edition. It is the brand's top device and engineered to be the only gadget required to explore virtually anywhere and monitor every activity.
This positions it as an very pricey option, 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 variant with microLED screen – nearly double the cost of the regular Fenix 8.
Users receive a lot of features for your investment, with industry-leading fitness, activity and adventure tracking. Its complete offline mapping of the world can automatically direct you return to the trail if you get lost without a phone, and appear excellent on the sizable, crisp and super-bright display.
This Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively available in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, not the more compact 43mm size found 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 display always active, enduring a reliable eight to nine days between charges.
No-Phone Messaging, Calling and Live Tracking
The company operates its own inReach LTE (4G) and orbital subscription service rather than relying on a watch plan tied to your mobile carrier, like other wearables. But unlike Apple or Google's satellite-enabled devices, emergency communication is not included for no cost.
Instead, plans start at £7.99 or similar a month, which includes limitless LTE SMS and voice messaging, call functionality and LiveTrack location sharing – so your friends or loved ones can keep an eye on you while out jogging, biking or comparable activities – along with emergency satellite SOS alerts.
Check-ins and messages over satellite are then billed additionally, with more expensive subscriptions offering different quotas of orbital use, increasing to a £50 a month unlimited plan. The watch comes with a 30-day free trial so you can test out the service.
After you have got it set up, you just venture the door minus your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You can not use it for playing music or comparable activities, but you can make and take calls, dispatch texts and generally stay connected with your relatives and friends.
When you text someone, Garmin sends them an SMS from a random phone number, which they can reply to back to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger app, you can then communicate back and forth via text or voice communications, and make voice calls. Your contact is not required to have a Garmin account to use the Messenger application, only a phone number is enough to register for texts.
Messaging on the watch works fine but typing out texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is slow. It includes a set of customisable pre-set replies you can send to speed things up. Spoken messages and calls work OK, though as with the majority of wearables, you’re not going to want to use it for extended discussions as the audio clarity is not ideal.
LiveTrack is the most useful feature. You can set it up to automatically transmit a URL to selected contacts every time you start an exercise, so they can track your real time location on a map. It’s excellent for monitoring competition progress, but it mostly serves as a tool for someone you trust to be aware of your location in case something happens. It has typically functioned well, though the actual location has sometimes lagged when transitioning in and out of good LTE coverage.
These capabilities are available on other Garmin watches if you carry your phone with you, but in areas where LTE does not reach, the orbital activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, position check-ins and SOS SOS.
A guide shows you how to locate the line of sight to the satellite, which then sends and receives messages within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was unexpectedly straightforward to use and could be a vital lifeline, though it is important to note that orbital coverage is restricted to the US continent, the majority of Canada, and most of Europe except for regions of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees north.
Sustainability
The watch is typically repairable with services available via the customer service portal. The battery is certified to retain at least 90% of its initial capacity after two years of regular charging. The watch lacks any recycled materials. Garmin offers disposal schemes on new purchases.
Price
This 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
This Fenix 8 Pro takes a fantastic outdoor watch in the standard Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for messaging, calls and LiveTrack – along with satellite communication, location update and emergency SOS for when you’re out of signal.
Outcome is an even more remarkable adventure tool for those that want to be unplugged. If you want to have someone monitor you remotely while exercising out at night or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin does so without needing anything else.
This is quite liberating to be outdoors without a phone, but that functionality comes at quite a cost, both in terms of the substantial cost of the watch and the recurring fee of the inReach service to enable the service. Fortunately it isn’t dependent on your phone carrier so functions with all brand of smartphone and network.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a killer gadget for someone who dislikes being weighed down by their phone when jogging, cycling or trekking, but still desires to be trackable and contactable. For other users, it is a lot of money when the excellent Fenix 8 already exists.
Pros: LTE and satellite messaging, high-luminance OLED display, monitors all activities with premier GPS, built-in flashlight, voice and offline voice control, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, full offline maps and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre underwater use, physical controls and touchscreen.
Drawbacks: extremely costly, LTE and orbital features require monthly subscription, limited Garmin Pay financial compatibility, speech features are sluggish, basic wearable functionality compared with Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
