The latest version of the premium Fenix adventure watch includes a potentially lifesaving capability: phone-free messaging and emergency alerts using 4G LTE or orbital links.
This Fenix 8 Pro builds upon the previously outstanding Fenix 8 by adding new cellular tech, along with an available state-of-the-art microLED display in a limited edition. This is the brand's premier device and designed to be the only gadget required to explore almost any location and monitor every activity.
That positions it as an very expensive option, priced from £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 double the price of the regular Fenix 8.
Users receive a lot of features for your money, with best-in-class fitness, activity and outdoor tracking. Its full offline mapping of the world can seamlessly guide you back to the path if you get lost absent a phone, and appear great on the large, crisp and high-luminance display.
The Fenix 8 Pro is only offered in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, omitting the more compact 43mm size found in other models, so it is a big watch for larger wrists. But the 47mm OLED model as tested boasts an additional day of watch battery life even with the screen always active, lasting a solid eight to nine days between charges.
No-Phone Texting, Calls and Live Tracking
The company operates its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and orbital subscription plan instead of depending on a watch plan linked to your mobile provider, like other wearables. However unlike Apple or Google's satellite-enabled products, emergency communication is not included for no cost.
Rather, plans start at £7.99 or equivalent a month, which provides unlimited LTE SMS and voice messages, call functionality and LiveTrack position sharing – so your friends or family can keep an eye on you while engaged in running, biking or similar pursuits – plus emergency orbital SOS messaging.
Location updates and messages over satellite are then charged on top, with higher-tier plans offering different quotas of orbital usage, climbing to a £50 a month all-inclusive subscription. The watch comes with a 30-day trial period so you can test out the service.
Once you have got it set up, you simply head out the door minus your phone and the watch will link to LTE. You cannot use it for streaming music or similar tasks, but you are able to make and take calls, send texts and overall stay connected with your family and companions.
Whenever you text someone, Garmin sends them an SMS from a random number, which they can reply to directly to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger application, you can then communicate reciprocally via typed or voice messages, and make voice calls. Your recipient is not required to have a Garmin account to use the Messenger application, just a mobile number is sufficient to register for texts.
Texting on the watch functions fine but typing out texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is slow. It includes a collection of personalizable pre-set replies you can send to expedite communication. Spoken recordings and calls work acceptably, though as with most wearables, you’re unlikely going to wish to use it for lengthy discussions as the audio clarity is less than fantastic.
LiveTrack is the most useful feature. You can set it up to automatically send a link to selected contacts whenever you start an exercise, so they can track your real time location on a map. It’s excellent for monitoring competition progress, but it mostly acts as a tool for someone you rely on to be aware of your whereabouts in case something happens. It has generally worked effectively, although the real position has sometimes been delayed when moving in and out of good LTE signal.
All of these capabilities are accessible on other Garmin watches if you carry your phone with you, but in areas where LTE does not reach, the orbital kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, location check-ins and emergency SOS.
A guide shows you how to locate the line of sight 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 vital safety feature, however it is important to remember that satellite service is limited to the US mainland, most of Canada, and the majority of Europe except for parts of Scandinavia above 65 degrees north.
Sustainability
The watch is typically repairable with services available through the customer service portal. The battery is certified to retain at least 90% of its initial capacity after two years of regular charging. The watch does not contain any reused components. Garmin provides recycling schemes on new purchases.
Cost
The Fenix 8 Pro costs from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The optional Garmin inReach service plans cost from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Verdict
This Fenix 8 Pro builds on a fantastic adventure watch in the regular Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for texting, call functionality and LiveTrack – along with orbital communication, check-in and emergency SOS for when you’re out of coverage.
The result is an increasingly remarkable outdoor device for those that desire to be unplugged. If you wish to have someone keep an eye on you remotely while running out at night or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin does so without needing anything else.
It is quite liberating to be outdoors without a phone, but that capability comes at a significant price, both in terms of the substantial cost of the watch and the monthly fee of the inReach plan to provide the service. Fortunately it isn’t reliant on your phone provider so works with any make of smartphone and network.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a killer device for someone who dislikes being weighed down by their phone when jogging, cycling or trekking, but still wants to be trackable and contactable. For other users, it is a significant expense when the superb Fenix 8 already exists.
Advantages: LTE and satellite messaging, high-luminance OLED screen, tracks everything with premier GPS, built-in flashlight, voice and standalone commands, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, full offline mapping and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre underwater use, physical controls and touch.
Drawbacks: extremely costly, LTE and orbital functions need ongoing subscription, limited Garmin Pay bank compatibility, voice features are sluggish, basic smartwatch functionality compared with competing watches.
