The most recent model of the premium Fenix outdoor timepiece includes a potentially lifesaving feature: phone-free messaging and emergency messaging using 4G LTE or satellite links.
The Fenix 8 Pro enhances the already impressive Fenix 8 by adding cutting-edge mobile technology, along with an optional advanced microLED display in a limited edition. It is the brand's top model and designed to be the only gadget required to venture virtually any location and monitor all your movements.
That makes it an extremely expensive proposition, starting at £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED model and reaching a substantial £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm variant with microLED screen – almost twice the cost of the regular Fenix 8.
You do get a lot of features for your investment, with best-in-class workout, movement and outdoor monitoring. The complete offline maps of the world can seamlessly direct you back to the trail if you lose your way without a phone, and appear great on the sizable, crisp and high-luminance touchscreen.
The Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively available in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, not the smaller 43mm size available in other devices, so it is a big watch for bigger wrists. However the 47mm OLED model as reviewed does have an additional day of smartwatch battery life despite the screen always active, enduring a reliable eight to nine days between charges.
Phone-Free Texting, Calling and Real-Time Location
The company operates its own inReach LTE (4G) and satellite subscription service instead of depending on a watch plan linked to your mobile provider, as with other smartwatches. However in contrast to competing satellite-enabled products, SOS communication is not included for free.
Instead, plans begin from £7.99 or similar a month, which provides unlimited LTE SMS and audio messages, calls and LiveTrack location tracking – so your friends or family can keep an eye on you while out running, cycling or similar pursuits – plus emergency orbital SOS messaging.
Check-ins and messages via satellite are then charged additionally, with more expensive plans offering different quotas of orbital use, increasing to a £50 a month all-inclusive plan. The watch includes a 30-day trial period so you can evaluate the functionality.
Once you have completed setup, you simply head out outside without your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You can not use it for playing music or similar tasks, but you can make and take calls, dispatch texts and overall keep in touch with your relatives and friends.
Whenever you text someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a random phone number, which they can reply to back to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger application, you can then communicate reciprocally via text or spoken messages, and initiate voice calls. Your contact does not need a Garmin account to use the Messenger app, just a mobile number is enough to sign up for texts.
Texting on the watch functions fine but composing texts on the small on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It has a collection of personalizable canned replies you can use to expedite communication. Voice messages and calls perform OK, although as with most wearables, you’re not going to want to use it for lengthy conversations as the quality is less than fantastic.
LiveTrack is the most useful function. You can configure to on its own transmit a link to selected contacts whenever you begin an activity, so they can track your real time position on a map. It’s great for following competition progress, but it primarily acts as a tool for someone you rely on to know your location in case something happens. It has generally functioned well, although the real position has occasionally been delayed when moving 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 lacks coverage, the satellite kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, location updates and SOS SOS.
A guide shows you how to find the line of sight to the orbital system, which then sends and receives messages within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was surprisingly straightforward to use and could be a crucial lifeline, however it is essential to remember that orbital coverage is limited to the US continent, the majority of Canada, and the majority of Europe excluding parts of Scandinavia above 65 degrees north.
Sustainability
The watch is typically repairable with options available via the customer service portal. The battery is rated to retain at least 90% of its original capacity after two years of weekly charging. The watch lacks any recycled components. Garmin offers recycling schemes on recent purchases.
Cost
This Fenix 8 Pro is priced from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The additional Garmin inReach service plans cost from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Verdict
The Fenix 8 Pro builds on a excellent outdoor watch in the regular Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for texting, calls and LiveTrack – along with orbital communication, location update and emergency SOS for when you’re out of signal.
Outcome is an increasingly impressive outdoor tool for those that desire to be unplugged. If you want to have someone monitor you from afar while running out at night or in the remote areas, the Garmin does so without needing additional gear.
It is quite liberating to be outside without a phone, but that functionality carries quite a cost, both in terms of the colossal cost of the watch and the monthly fee of the inReach plan to provide the service. 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 hates being weighed down by their phone when jogging, biking or hiking, but still wants to be trackable and reachable. For everyone else, it is a significant expense when the excellent Fenix 8 already exists.
Pros: LTE and orbital messaging, super-bright OLED display, tracks everything with premier GPS, built-in flashlight, voice and standalone voice control, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, complete offline mapping and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre underwater use, physical controls and touch.
Drawbacks: very costly, LTE and orbital functions require monthly payment, restricted Garmin Pay financial support, speech capabilities are slow, basic smartwatch functionality versus competing watches.
