This most recent iteration of the premium Fenix adventure timepiece includes a potentially lifesaving capability: no-phone communication and emergency messaging using 4G LTE or orbital connections.
The Fenix 8 Pro enhances the previously outstanding Fenix 8 by incorporating new cellular tech, along with an available advanced microLED screen in a limited edition. It is Garmin's premier device and designed to be the single tool required to venture virtually any location and monitor all your movements.
This positions it as an extremely pricey option, starting at £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED version and climbing to a colossal £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.
Users receive a significant features for your investment, with industry-leading fitness, activity and adventure tracking. The complete offline maps of the world can automatically guide you return to the trail if you lose your way without a phone, and appear excellent on the large, crisp and high-luminance display.
This Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively offered in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, omitting the smaller 43mm version available in other models, so it is a large watch for larger wrists. However the 47mm OLED version as reviewed boasts an extra day of watch battery life despite the screen on all the time, lasting a solid eight to nine days between charges.
No-Phone Texting, Calls and Real-Time Location
The company uses its own inReach LTE (4G) and orbital service plan rather than relying on a watch plan linked to your mobile provider, as with other wearables. However in contrast to competing satellite-enabled devices, emergency communication is not included for no cost.
Instead, plans start at £7.99 or equivalent a month, which provides limitless LTE text and voice messaging, calls and LiveTrack position tracking – so your contacts or loved ones can monitor you while out running, biking or comparable activities – plus emergency orbital SOS alerts.
Check-ins and texts via satellite are then charged additionally, with more expensive plans offering different quotas of satellite usage, climbing to a £50 a month all-inclusive plan. The watch includes a 30-day free trial so you can evaluate the service.
Once you have got it set up, you just venture the door without your phone and the watch will link to LTE. You can not use it for streaming music or comparable activities, but you are able to make and take calls, dispatch texts and overall stay connected with your family and companions.
When you text 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 using text or spoken communications, and initiate voice calls. Your recipient is not required to have a Garmin profile to use the Messenger application, only a phone number is sufficient to sign up for texts.
Texting on the watch functions adequately but typing out texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It includes a collection of personalizable pre-set responses you can use to speed things up. Spoken messages and calls perform OK, though as with most wearables, you’re not going to want to use it for extended discussions as the audio clarity is less than ideal.
LiveTrack is the handiest function. You can set it up to automatically transmit a URL to selected contacts whenever you start an exercise, so they can track your real time location on a map. It’s excellent for following competition performance, but it primarily acts as a tool for someone you rely on to know your location in case an incident occurs. It has typically worked effectively, though the real location has sometimes lagged when moving in and out of good LTE signal.
These features are accessible on other Garmin devices if you carry your phone with you, but in locations where LTE does not reach, the satellite kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, position check-ins and SOS SOS.
A guide displays you how to find the clear view to the satellite, which then transmits and gets messages within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was surprisingly straightforward to use and could be a crucial lifeline, however it is important to remember that satellite coverage is restricted to the US continent, the majority of Canada, and the majority of Europe excluding regions of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees north.
Sustainability
The watch is typically repairable with options available through the support site. The battery is certified to retain at least 90% of its original power after two years of regular charging. The watch does not contain any recycled materials. Garmin provides disposal schemes on new purchases.
Cost
The Fenix 8 Pro is priced from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The optional Garmin inReach service packages cost from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Conclusion
This Fenix 8 Pro takes a fantastic outdoor watch in the standard Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for texting, call functionality and LiveTrack – plus orbital messaging, check-in and SOS SOS for when you’re without signal.
The result is an even more remarkable outdoor device for those that desire to be phone-free. If you want to have someone keep an eye on you remotely while exercising out at night or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin accomplishes this without needing anything else.
This is quite freeing to be outdoors without a phone, but that capability carries a significant cost, both in terms of the substantial price of the watch and the recurring subscription of the inReach plan to enable the features. At least it isn’t reliant on your phone carrier so works with all brand of smartphone and carrier.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier device for someone who dislikes being weighed down by their phone when jogging, biking or hiking, but still desires to be locatable and reachable. For everyone else, it is a significant expense when the superb Fenix 8 already exists.
Advantages: LTE and orbital communication, super-bright OLED screen, tracks everything with premier GPS, built-in torch, phone and standalone voice control, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, full offline maps and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre underwater use, physical controls and touch.
Drawbacks: very costly, LTE and satellite functions need monthly subscription, limited Garmin Pay financial support, voice features are slow, limited wearable features compared with competing watches.
