This most recent version of the flagship Fenix outdoor timepiece introduces a potentially lifesaving capability: no-phone messaging and SOS messaging using 4G LTE or orbital links.
This Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the previously impressive Fenix 8 by incorporating new cellular tech, plus an optional advanced microLED screen in a special edition. This is the brand's top device and designed to be the only gadget needed to venture virtually any location and track all your movements.
This makes it an extremely expensive proposition, starting at £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 edition with microLED display – nearly double the price of the regular Fenix 8.
You do get a significant functionality for your money, with industry-leading workout, movement and outdoor monitoring. The complete offline mapping of the globe can seamlessly guide you back to the path if you lose your way absent a phone, and look excellent on the large, crisp and high-luminance touchscreen.
This Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively available in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, not the more compact 43mm version found in other models, so it is a large watch for bigger wrists. However the 47mm OLED version as tested boasts an extra day of watch battery life despite the screen on all the time, enduring a solid eight to nine days between charging.
No-Phone Messaging, Calling and Real-Time Location
The company operates its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and orbital service plan instead of relying on a watch plan linked to your mobile carrier, like other wearables. But in contrast to competing satellite-capable devices, emergency messaging is not provided for free.
Instead, plans start at £7.99 or similar a month, which provides limitless LTE SMS and audio messages, call functionality and LiveTrack location tracking – so your friends or family can keep an eye on you while out jogging, biking or similar pursuits – plus SOS satellite SOS alerts.
Check-ins and texts over satellite are then billed additionally, with more expensive plans offering different allowances of satellite usage, increasing to a £50 a month all-inclusive subscription. The watch includes a 30-day trial period so you can test out the service.
After you have completed setup, you just venture the door minus your phone and the watch will link to LTE. You can not use it for streaming music or comparable tasks, but you can place and receive calls, dispatch texts and overall keep in touch with your family and companions.
When you text someone, Garmin sends them an SMS from a arbitrary phone number, which they can reply to directly to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger app, you can then communicate reciprocally via text or voice messages, and initiate voice calls. Your contact is not required to have a Garmin account to use the Messenger application, just a phone number is sufficient to register for texts.
Messaging on the watch functions adequately but typing out texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is slow. It has a set of customisable canned responses you can send to expedite communication. Spoken recordings and calls perform OK, though as with most wearables, you’re unlikely going to wish to use it for lengthy discussions as the audio clarity is not fantastic.
LiveTrack is the most useful function. You can set it up to automatically send a URL to chosen contacts every time you begin an activity, so they can follow your real time position on a map. It’s great for following competition performance, but it mostly serves as a utility for someone you trust to be aware of your whereabouts in case something happens. It has generally worked well, though the real location has sometimes lagged when transitioning in and out of good LTE signal.
These features are available on other Garmin watches if you carry your phone with you, but in locations where LTE does not reach, the satellite activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, location updates and SOS SOS.
A on-screen assistance shows you how to find the clear view to the satellite, which then sends and receives messages within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was unexpectedly easy to use and could be a crucial lifeline, however it is essential to remember that orbital coverage is restricted to the US continent, most of Canada, and most of Europe excluding regions of Scandinavia above 65 degrees north.
Environmental Impact
The watch is generally serviceable with services available through the support portal. The battery is rated to maintain at least 90% of its initial power after two years of weekly charging. The watch does not contain any reused components. Garmin offers disposal schemes on recent purchases.
Price
This Fenix 8 Pro is priced from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The additional Garmin inReach service packages cost from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Conclusion
This Fenix 8 Pro takes a excellent adventure watch in the standard Fenix 8 and adds LTE for texting, call functionality and LiveTrack – along with orbital communication, location update and emergency SOS for when you’re without coverage.
Outcome is an increasingly impressive adventure tool for those that want to be unplugged. If you wish to have someone monitor you from afar while running out at night or in the remote areas, the Garmin accomplishes this without requiring additional gear.
This is very liberating to be outside without a phone, but that functionality comes at a significant price, both in terms of the colossal cost of the watch and the recurring subscription of the inReach service to enable the service. At least it is not dependent on your phone carrier so works with all brand of smartphone and network.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier gadget for someone who hates being weighed down by their phone when running, cycling or hiking, but nevertheless desires to be locatable and reachable. For other users, it is a lot of money when the superb Fenix 8 already exists.
Advantages: LTE and satellite communication, super-bright OLED display, tracks everything with best-in-class GPS, integrated torch, phone and standalone voice control, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, full offline maps and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre underwater use, physical controls and touchscreen.
Drawbacks: very costly, LTE and orbital features require ongoing payment, restricted Garmin Pay financial support, speech features are slow, basic wearable functionality compared with Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
