This latest model of the premium Fenix outdoor watch includes a life-saving capability: no-phone communication and SOS messaging via 4G LTE or satellite links.
The Fenix 8 Pro enhances the previously outstanding Fenix 8 by incorporating cutting-edge mobile technology, along with an available advanced microLED screen in a special edition. It is Garmin's premier model and designed to be the only gadget required to explore virtually any location and monitor all your movements.
That makes it an very expensive proposition, starting at £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED model and reaching a colossal £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm variant with microLED screen – almost twice the price of the standard Fenix 8.
Users get a lot of functionality for your money, with industry-leading fitness, activity and outdoor monitoring. The complete offline maps of the world can automatically direct you back to the path if you lose your way absent a phone, and appear excellent on the sizable, sharp and super-bright touchscreen.
This Fenix 8 Pro is only available in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, omitting the more compact 43mm version available in other models, so it is a big watch for bigger wrists. However the 47mm OLED model as reviewed boasts an extra day of smartwatch battery life even with the display always active, enduring a reliable eight to nine days between charging.
Phone-Free Texting, Calls and Real-Time Location
The company uses its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and satellite service service instead of depending on a watch plan linked to your mobile provider, like other wearables. But unlike competing satellite-enabled products, SOS communication is not included for free.
Rather, subscriptions 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 family can keep an eye on you while out running, biking or similar pursuits – along with emergency orbital SOS messaging.
Check-ins and texts over satellite are then billed on top, with higher-tier subscriptions offering different quotas of satellite use, climbing to a £50 a month all-inclusive plan. The watch comes with a 30-day trial period so you can test out the functionality.
After you have completed setup, you simply head out outside minus your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You can not use it for streaming music or comparable tasks, but you can place and receive calls, dispatch texts and overall stay connected with your relatives and companions.
Whenever you text someone, Garmin sends them an SMS from a random phone number, which they can respond to back to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger app, you can then communicate reciprocally via typed or spoken communications, and make voice calls. Your recipient does not need a Garmin account to use the Messenger application, only a phone number is enough to register for texts.
Texting on the watch works adequately but composing texts on the small on-screen keyboard is slow. It has a collection of customisable canned responses you can use to expedite communication. Voice recordings and calls perform OK, though as with the majority of wearables, you’re not going to wish to use it for extended discussions as the audio clarity is less than ideal.
LiveTrack is the most useful feature. You can configure to on its own transmit a link to selected contacts every time you begin an exercise, so they can track your live location on a map. It’s great for following competition performance, but it mostly acts as a tool for someone you rely on to know your whereabouts in case an incident occurs. It has generally functioned well, though the actual location has sometimes been delayed when moving in and out of good LTE coverage.
All of these features are accessible 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 transmit texts, location check-ins and SOS SOS.
A on-screen assistance shows you how to locate the line of sight to the orbital system, which then sends and receives communications within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was unexpectedly straightforward to use and could be a vital lifeline, however it is important to note that orbital coverage is restricted to the US mainland, the majority of Canada, and most of Europe except for parts of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees north.
Sustainability
The watch is generally repairable with services available through the customer service site. The battery is rated to retain at least 90% of its initial power after two years of regular charging. The watch lacks any reused materials. Garmin provides disposal programs on recent purchases.
Price
This Fenix 8 Pro is priced from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The optional Garmin inReach service plans begin from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Conclusion
This Fenix 8 Pro takes a fantastic adventure watch in the regular Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for texting, calls and LiveTrack – plus orbital communication, location update and emergency SOS for when you’re out of signal.
The result is an increasingly remarkable adventure device for those that desire to be phone-free. If you want to have someone monitor you remotely while exercising after dark or in the remote areas, the Garmin does so without needing anything else.
It is very freeing to be outdoors without a phone, but that functionality carries quite a cost, both in terms of the colossal price of the watch and the recurring subscription of the inReach plan to provide the features. At least it isn’t reliant on your phone carrier so functions with all brand of smartphone and carrier.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a killer gadget for someone who dislikes being weighed down by their phone when jogging, biking or hiking, but still wants to be trackable and contactable. For other users, it is a lot of money when the superb Fenix 8 is already available.
Pros: LTE and orbital communication, super-bright OLED display, monitors everything with premier GPS, built-in flashlight, phone and offline commands, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, full offline maps and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre underwater use, physical controls and touchscreen.
Drawbacks: very expensive, LTE and orbital features need ongoing subscription, limited Garmin Pay financial compatibility, voice capabilities are sluggish, limited wearable features compared with competing watches.
