This most recent version of the premium Fenix adventure watch includes a life-saving feature: no-phone messaging and emergency alerts using 4G LTE or satellite connections.
This Fenix 8 Pro builds upon the previously outstanding Fenix 8 by incorporating cutting-edge mobile technology, along with an optional advanced microLED screen in a special edition. It is the brand's premier device and engineered to be the single gadget needed to explore virtually any location and monitor all your movements.
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 colossal £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm variant with microLED display – nearly twice the cost of the standard Fenix 8.
Users receive a lot of features for your money, with best-in-class fitness, activity and outdoor monitoring. Its complete offline mapping of the world can automatically direct you return to the path if you get lost absent a phone, and appear great on the large, sharp and super-bright touchscreen.
This Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively available in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, not the more compact 43mm version available in other devices, so it is a big watch for bigger wrists. However the 47mm OLED version as reviewed boasts an additional day of smartwatch battery life despite the screen on all the time, enduring a solid eight to nine days between charges.
Phone-Free Texting, Calling and Real-Time Location
The company operates its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and satellite subscription plan rather than depending on a watch plan tied to your phone provider, as with other wearables. But in contrast to Apple or Google's satellite-enabled devices, emergency communication is not included for no cost.
Rather, subscriptions begin from £7.99 or similar a month, which includes limitless LTE text and audio messages, calls and LiveTrack position tracking – so your friends or family can keep an eye on you while engaged in jogging, biking or comparable activities – along with emergency satellite SOS messaging.
Check-ins and messages via orbital are then charged on top, with more expensive plans offering different quotas of orbital use, climbing to a £50 a month unlimited plan. The watch includes a 30-day trial period so you can test out the service.
Once you have got it set up, you just head out the door minus your phone and the watch will link to LTE. You cannot use it for playing music or comparable tasks, but you can make and take calls, send texts and overall keep in touch with your relatives and companions.
When you text someone, Garmin sends them an SMS from a random number, which they can respond to back to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger application, you can then message back and forth via typed or voice messages, and initiate voice calls. Your recipient does not need a Garmin profile to use the Messenger application, just a phone number is sufficient to register for texts.
Texting on the watch works fine but typing out texts on the small on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It has a collection of customisable pre-set responses you can use to expedite communication. Spoken recordings and calls perform OK, though as with most smartwatches, you’re unlikely going to want to use it for lengthy discussions as the audio clarity is less than ideal.
LiveTrack is the handiest feature. You can set it up to automatically transmit a URL to selected contacts every time you start an exercise, so they can follow your real time location on a map. It’s great for monitoring race progress, but it primarily serves as a utility for someone you trust to know your location in case something happens. It has typically functioned well, though the real location has sometimes been delayed when transitioning in and out of strong LTE signal.
All of these features are available on other Garmin watches if you carry your phone with you, but in locations where LTE lacks coverage, the orbital activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, location updates and SOS SOS.
A guide shows you how to locate the line of sight to the orbital system, which then transmits and gets communications within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was surprisingly easy to use and could be a vital lifeline, however it is essential to note that orbital service is restricted to the US continent, the majority of Canada, and the majority of Europe excluding parts of Scandinavia above 65 degrees north.
Environmental Impact
The watch is typically repairable with options available via the customer service site. The battery is certified to maintain at least 90% of its original capacity after two years of regular charging. The watch does not contain any reused components. Garmin offers disposal schemes on new purchases.
Price
The 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).
Conclusion
This Fenix 8 Pro takes a fantastic outdoor watch in the regular Fenix 8 and adds LTE for texting, calls and LiveTrack – along with orbital messaging, location update and emergency SOS for when you’re out of signal.
Outcome is an even more remarkable adventure device for those that desire to be unplugged. If you want to have someone keep an eye on you from afar while exercising out at night or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin does so without requiring anything else.
It is very liberating to be outdoors without a phone, but that capability comes at a significant price, both in terms of the substantial price of the watch and the monthly subscription of the inReach service to provide the features. At least it is not reliant on your phone carrier so works with any make of smartphone and carrier.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier device for someone who dislikes being weighed down by their phone when jogging, cycling or trekking, but still desires to be trackable and reachable. For everyone else, it is a significant expense when the superb Fenix 8 is already available.
Advantages: LTE and orbital communication, super-bright OLED display, tracks everything with best-in-class GPS, built-in torch, voice and offline commands, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, full offline maps and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre underwater use, physical controls and touchscreen.
Cons: extremely costly, LTE and orbital features require ongoing subscription, restricted Garmin Pay bank compatibility, voice capabilities are sluggish, basic smartwatch features compared with Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
