This most recent model of the premium Fenix adventure watch brings a life-saving feature: no-phone messaging and SOS alerts using 4G LTE or satellite links.
This Fenix 8 Pro enhances the already impressive Fenix 8 by incorporating new mobile tech, plus an optional advanced microLED screen in a special edition. This is the brand's top device and engineered to be the only gadget required to venture almost any location and track every activity.
That positions it as an very pricey proposition, 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.
You do receive a significant features for your money, with industry-leading fitness, activity and outdoor monitoring. Its full offline maps of the globe can seamlessly direct you back to the path if you get lost absent a phone, and appear excellent on the sizable, sharp and super-bright touchscreen.
This Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively available in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, omitting the smaller 43mm size found in other models, so it is a large watch for bigger wrists. However the 47mm OLED model as tested does have an extra day of smartwatch battery life despite the display always active, enduring a solid eight to nine days between charging.
No-Phone Texting, Calls and Real-Time Location
Garmin uses its own inReach LTE (4G) and satellite service plan instead of relying on a watch plan linked to your mobile carrier, as with other wearables. However unlike Apple or Google's satellite-capable devices, SOS communication is not included for free.
Rather, plans begin from £7.99 or equivalent a month, which includes unlimited LTE SMS and audio messaging, call functionality and LiveTrack location tracking – so your friends or loved ones can keep an eye on you while engaged in jogging, biking or similar activities – along with emergency satellite SOS alerts.
Check-ins and messages via orbital are then billed on top, with higher-tier plans including different allowances of orbital use, increasing to a £50 a month all-inclusive plan. The watch comes with a 30-day free trial so you can test out the service.
After you have completed setup, you simply venture outside minus your phone and the watch will link to LTE. You can not use it for streaming music or similar activities, but you can make and take calls, dispatch texts and overall keep in touch with your family and companions.
When you message someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a random phone number, which they can respond to directly to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger app, you can then communicate back and forth via typed or spoken communications, 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.
Messaging on the watch functions fine but typing out texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It includes a collection of customisable pre-set responses you can use to expedite communication. Spoken messages and calls perform acceptably, although as with most smartwatches, you’re not going to want to use it for lengthy conversations as the audio clarity is not ideal.
LiveTrack is the handiest function. You can set it up to automatically transmit a URL to selected contacts whenever you start an exercise, so they can track your live location on a map. It’s great for following race performance, but it primarily acts as a utility for someone you rely on to know your whereabouts in case something happens. It has typically worked well, though the actual position has occasionally been delayed when moving in and out of good LTE coverage.
These capabilities are accessible on other Garmin devices if you carry your phone with you, but in areas where LTE does not reach, the orbital activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, location updates and emergency SOS.
A on-screen assistance shows you how to locate 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 lifeline, however it is important to remember that orbital service is restricted to the US mainland, most of Canada, and the majority of Europe excluding regions of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees north.
Sustainability
The watch is typically serviceable with services available via the customer service site. The battery is certified 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 new purchases.
Cost
This Fenix 8 Pro is priced 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).
Verdict
This Fenix 8 Pro takes a excellent outdoor watch in the standard Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for messaging, call functionality and LiveTrack – plus orbital messaging, check-in and SOS SOS for when you’re out of coverage.
The result is an even more 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 remote areas, the Garmin does so without requiring anything else.
This is quite freeing to be outside without a phone, but that capability carries quite a price, both in terms of the colossal price of the watch and the monthly fee of the inReach plan to enable the features. At least it is not dependent on your phone provider so works with any make of smartphone and carrier.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier gadget for someone who dislikes being burdened by their phone when jogging, cycling or trekking, but nevertheless wants to be locatable and reachable. For everyone else, it is a lot of expense when the superb Fenix 8 is already available.
Advantages: LTE and orbital messaging, high-luminance OLED display, tracks everything with best-in-class GPS, built-in torch, voice and standalone commands, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, full offline maps and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre underwater use, buttons and touch.
Cons: very costly, LTE and satellite features require ongoing subscription, restricted Garmin Pay bank compatibility, speech features are slow, basic wearable features compared with Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
