The latest version of the flagship Fenix outdoor timepiece introduces a life-saving capability: phone-free communication and SOS alerts via 4G LTE or orbital links.
The Fenix 8 Pro builds upon the previously outstanding Fenix 8 by incorporating cutting-edge mobile tech, plus an available advanced microLED display in a limited edition. This is the brand's premier model and engineered to be the single gadget needed to venture almost any location and monitor 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 model and climbing to a substantial £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm variant with microLED screen – nearly twice the price of the standard Fenix 8.
Users receive a lot of functionality for your investment, with best-in-class fitness, activity and outdoor monitoring. Its full offline mapping of the world can automatically guide you return to the trail if you lose your way absent a phone, and appear great on the large, crisp and high-luminance display.
The Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively available in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, not the smaller 43mm version available in other devices, so it is a large watch for larger wrists. But the 47mm OLED model as tested boasts an extra day of smartwatch battery life even with the display always active, enduring a solid 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 rather than depending on a watch plan linked to your phone carrier, like other wearables. But unlike competing satellite-enabled products, SOS communication is not included for free.
Instead, plans start at £7.99 or equivalent a month, which provides limitless LTE SMS and audio messages, calls and LiveTrack location tracking – so your contacts or loved ones can monitor you while out jogging, biking or comparable activities – along with emergency orbital SOS alerts.
Check-ins and messages over satellite are then billed additionally, with more expensive plans offering various quotas of orbital use, increasing to a £50 a month all-inclusive subscription. The watch includes a 30-day trial period so you can evaluate the functionality.
After you have got it set up, you simply head out outside minus your phone and the watch will link to LTE. You cannot use it for playing music or comparable activities, but you can make and take calls, dispatch texts and generally keep in touch with your family and companions.
When you message someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a arbitrary phone number, which they can respond to back to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger app, you can then message reciprocally via typed or spoken messages, and make voice calls. Your recipient does not need a Garmin profile to use the Messenger app, only a phone number is sufficient to register for texts.
Messaging on the watch works fine but typing out texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It includes a set of personalizable pre-set responses you can send to speed things up. Spoken messages and calls work acceptably, though as with most smartwatches, you’re unlikely going to want to use it for extended conversations as the quality is not ideal.
LiveTrack is the most useful function. You can configure to automatically send a link to selected contacts whenever you start an exercise, so they can track your real time position on a map. It’s great for monitoring competition performance, but it mostly acts as a tool for someone you trust to know your location in case an incident occurs. It has generally worked effectively, though the real location has sometimes been delayed when moving in and out of good LTE signal.
These features are available on other Garmin devices 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 on-screen assistance displays you how to locate the line of sight to the orbital system, which then transmits and gets messages within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was surprisingly straightforward to use and could be a crucial safety feature, though it is essential to note that satellite service is restricted to the US continent, most of Canada, and the majority of Europe excluding regions of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees north.
Sustainability
The watch is typically repairable with options offered through 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 programs on recent purchases.
Price
This Fenix 8 Pro costs from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The additional Garmin inReach subscription plans begin from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Conclusion
This Fenix 8 Pro builds on a excellent outdoor watch in the regular Fenix 8 and adds LTE for texting, calls and LiveTrack – along with orbital messaging, check-in and emergency SOS for when you’re out of coverage.
Outcome is an even more impressive outdoor device for those that desire to be unplugged. If you wish to have someone keep an eye on you remotely while exercising out at night or in the remote areas, the Garmin does so without needing anything else.
It is quite freeing to be outside without a phone, but that capability comes at quite a price, both in terms of the substantial cost of the watch and the monthly subscription of the inReach service to provide the service. Fortunately it isn’t reliant on your phone carrier so functions with any brand of smartphone and carrier.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a killer device for someone who hates being weighed down by their phone when jogging, cycling or trekking, but still wants to be locatable and reachable. For other users, it is a significant money when the excellent Fenix 8 is already available.
Advantages: LTE and orbital messaging, super-bright OLED screen, monitors all activities with premier GPS, built-in flashlight, voice and standalone voice control, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, complete offline maps and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre underwater use, buttons and touch.
Cons: extremely costly, LTE and orbital features require ongoing subscription, restricted Garmin Pay bank compatibility, voice features are slow, basic wearable functionality compared with competing watches.
