The newest model of the flagship Fenix adventure watch introduces a potentially lifesaving capability: phone-free communication and emergency alerts via 4G LTE or satellite links.
The Fenix 8 Pro builds upon the already outstanding Fenix 8 by incorporating new mobile tech, along with an optional advanced microLED display in a special edition. It is the brand's top device and designed to be the only tool required to venture almost any location and monitor every activity.
This positions it as an very expensive proposition, starting at £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 edition with microLED display – almost double the cost of the standard Fenix 8.
You do receive a lot of functionality for your money, with industry-leading workout, movement and outdoor monitoring. The full offline maps of the globe can seamlessly guide you return to the path if you lose your way without a phone, and appear great on the sizable, crisp and high-luminance touchscreen.
This Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively offered in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, omitting the smaller 43mm version found in other models, so it is a big watch for bigger wrists. However the 47mm OLED model as tested boasts an extra day of watch battery life even with the screen on all the time, enduring a reliable eight to nine days between charges.
No-Phone Texting, Calls and Real-Time Location
The company operates its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and satellite service service rather than depending on a watch plan tied to your mobile provider, as with other smartwatches. However unlike competing satellite-enabled products, emergency communication is not included for no cost.
Rather, plans begin from £7.99 or equivalent a month, which provides unlimited LTE text and voice messaging, call functionality and LiveTrack position tracking – so your contacts or loved ones can monitor you while out running, biking or comparable activities – plus emergency satellite SOS messaging.
Check-ins and messages over satellite are then charged on top, with more expensive subscriptions offering various quotas of satellite usage, increasing to a £50 a month all-inclusive plan. The watch includes a 30-day free trial so you can evaluate the service.
After you have got it set up, you simply head out outside minus your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You cannot use it for playing music or comparable activities, but you can place and receive calls, dispatch texts and generally stay connected with your family and friends.
Whenever you message someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a random phone number, which they can reply to back to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger application, you can then communicate back and forth via typed or voice messages, and make voice calls. Your contact is not required to have a Garmin profile to use the Messenger application, just a phone number is enough to sign up for texts.
Messaging on the watch functions adequately but composing texts on the small on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It has a collection of personalizable pre-set responses you can send to speed things up. Spoken messages and calls perform acceptably, although as with the majority of wearables, you’re not going to want to use it for extended conversations as the quality is less than fantastic.
LiveTrack is the most useful function. You can configure to automatically transmit a URL to selected contacts every time you start an exercise, so they can track your live location on a map. It’s excellent for monitoring competition performance, but it mostly serves as a tool for someone you rely on to know your whereabouts in case something happens. It has typically functioned well, though the real location has occasionally been delayed when transitioning in and out of good LTE coverage.
These capabilities are available on other Garmin watches if you bring your phone with you, but in areas where LTE does not reach, the satellite activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, location check-ins and SOS SOS.
A on-screen assistance displays you how to locate the line of sight to the satellite, which then transmits and gets communications within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was unexpectedly straightforward to use and could be a vital safety feature, however it is essential to remember that satellite coverage is limited to the US continent, the majority of Canada, and most of Europe excluding parts of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees latitude.
Sustainability
The watch is typically repairable with options offered through the support site. The battery is certified to retain at least 90% of its initial power after two years of regular charging. The watch does not contain any recycled materials. Garmin offers recycling 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 optional Garmin inReach service plans cost from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Verdict
The Fenix 8 Pro builds on a fantastic adventure watch in the regular Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for messaging, calls and LiveTrack – plus orbital communication, location update and emergency SOS for when you’re out of signal.
Outcome is an increasingly remarkable outdoor tool for those that want to be phone-free. If you wish to have someone monitor you from afar while running out at night or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin does so without requiring additional gear.
This 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 recurring subscription of the inReach plan to enable the features. Fortunately it is not dependent on your phone carrier so works with any brand of smartphone and network.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier device for someone who dislikes being weighed down by their phone when running, biking or hiking, but still desires to be locatable and reachable. For other users, it is a significant money when the excellent Fenix 8 already exists.
Advantages: LTE and satellite communication, high-luminance OLED display, tracks all activities with best-in-class GPS, built-in torch, voice and standalone voice control, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, complete offline maps and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre underwater use, buttons and touch.
Drawbacks: very costly, LTE and satellite functions require ongoing subscription, limited Garmin Pay bank support, speech features are sluggish, limited smartwatch features versus Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
