This latest model of the premium Fenix outdoor timepiece brings a potentially lifesaving capability: phone-free communication and SOS alerts using 4G LTE or orbital connections.
This Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the already impressive Fenix 8 by incorporating cutting-edge cellular technology, plus an optional advanced microLED display in a special edition. This is the brand's premier model and engineered to be the only gadget required to explore virtually anywhere and monitor all your movements.
That positions it as an very pricey option, priced from £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED version and climbing to a substantial £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm variant with microLED screen – nearly twice the cost of the regular Fenix 8.
Users receive a significant features for your investment, with industry-leading fitness, movement and adventure monitoring. Its full offline maps of the world can automatically direct you return to the path if you lose your way absent a phone, and appear excellent on the sizable, sharp and high-luminance display.
This Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively available in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, not the smaller 43mm version available in other devices, so it is a large watch for larger wrists. However the 47mm OLED version as tested does have an extra day of watch battery life even with the display on all the time, lasting a solid eight to nine days between charges.
Phone-Free Messaging, Calling and Real-Time Location
Garmin uses its own inReach LTE (4G) and orbital service plan rather than depending on a watch plan tied to your phone provider, as with other wearables. But unlike competing satellite-enabled devices, SOS messaging is not provided for no cost.
Rather, plans start at £7.99 or similar a month, which provides limitless LTE SMS and audio messages, call functionality and LiveTrack position sharing – so your friends or family can monitor you while out jogging, biking or similar pursuits – plus SOS orbital SOS messaging.
Check-ins and messages over satellite are then billed on top, with higher-tier plans including various allowances of satellite use, increasing to a £50 a month unlimited subscription. The watch includes a 30-day free trial so you can evaluate the functionality.
Once you have got it set up, you just head out outside without your phone and the watch will link to LTE. You can not use it for streaming music or comparable tasks, but you are able to make and take calls, dispatch texts and generally stay connected with your relatives and companions.
Whenever you message someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a random number, which they can respond to directly to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger application, you can then message reciprocally using text or voice messages, and make voice calls. Your recipient is not required to have a Garmin profile to use the Messenger app, just a mobile number is enough to register for texts.
Messaging on the watch functions fine but typing out texts on the small on-screen keyboard is slow. It includes a set of customisable canned replies you can send to speed things up. Voice recordings and calls work OK, though as with the majority of smartwatches, you’re not going to wish to use it for lengthy conversations as the audio clarity is not fantastic.
LiveTrack is the handiest function. You can set it up to automatically send a URL to chosen contacts every time you begin an exercise, so they can follow your real time position on a map. It’s excellent for monitoring competition progress, but it primarily acts as a tool for someone you trust to be aware of your location in case something happens. It has generally worked well, though the actual location has sometimes lagged when moving in and out of good LTE signal.
These capabilities are accessible on other Garmin watches 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 shows you how to locate the line of sight to the satellite, which then transmits and gets communications within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was surprisingly easy to use and could be a vital safety feature, however it is important to note that satellite coverage is restricted to the US continent, the majority of Canada, and the majority of Europe except for parts of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees north.
Sustainability
The watch is generally repairable with options available through the support site. The battery is certified to maintain at least 90% of its initial power after two years of regular charging. The watch lacks any reused materials. Garmin offers recycling 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 plans begin from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Conclusion
The Fenix 8 Pro builds on a fantastic adventure watch in the standard Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for texting, call functionality and LiveTrack – plus orbital communication, location update and SOS SOS for when you’re out of signal.
The result is an increasingly remarkable outdoor device for those that want to be unplugged. If you want to have someone monitor you from afar while exercising after dark or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin does so without requiring additional gear.
This is very liberating to be outside without a phone, but that functionality carries quite a price, both in terms of the colossal price of the watch and the monthly fee of the inReach plan to provide the service. Fortunately it is not reliant on your phone provider so functions with all make of smartphone and network.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier gadget for someone who dislikes being burdened by their phone when running, cycling 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 messaging, high-luminance OLED screen, monitors everything with premier GPS, built-in torch, voice and standalone voice control, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, full offline maps and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre diving, physical controls and touchscreen.
Drawbacks: extremely costly, LTE and satellite functions need ongoing payment, restricted Garmin Pay financial compatibility, voice capabilities are slow, basic smartwatch features versus Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
