This most recent iteration of the flagship Fenix adventure timepiece brings a potentially lifesaving feature: phone-free messaging and emergency messaging via 4G LTE or satellite links.
This Fenix 8 Pro builds upon the previously outstanding Fenix 8 by incorporating new mobile tech, plus an optional state-of-the-art microLED display in a limited edition. It is Garmin's top device and engineered to be the only gadget required to venture almost any location and track all your movements.
That makes it an very pricey proposition, priced from £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED model and reaching a substantial £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm edition with microLED screen – almost double the cost of the standard Fenix 8.
Users get a lot of functionality for your money, with industry-leading fitness, movement and adventure tracking. The full offline maps of the globe can seamlessly guide you return to the trail if you get lost absent a phone, and look excellent on the sizable, crisp and super-bright touchscreen.
The Fenix 8 Pro is only offered in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, not the more compact 43mm size found in other devices, so it is a big watch for larger wrists. But the 47mm OLED model as tested does have an extra day of watch battery life despite the display always active, enduring a solid eight to nine days between charges.
Phone-Free Texting, Calls and Live Tracking
The company uses its own inReach LTE (4G) and satellite service plan rather than depending on a watch plan linked to your mobile carrier, like other wearables. However in contrast to Apple or Google's satellite-capable products, emergency messaging is not provided for no cost.
Rather, plans start at £7.99 or similar a month, which provides unlimited LTE SMS and audio messaging, calls and LiveTrack location tracking – so your contacts or family can monitor you while engaged in running, cycling or comparable activities – plus SOS orbital SOS alerts.
Location updates and messages via satellite are then billed additionally, with more expensive plans offering different quotas of satellite use, increasing to a £50 a month unlimited plan. The watch comes with a 30-day trial period so you can test out the functionality.
Once you have got it set up, you just venture the door minus your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You can not use it for playing music or comparable activities, but you are able to make and take calls, dispatch texts and overall keep in touch with your family and friends.
When you message someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a random phone number, which they can reply to back to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger application, you can then communicate back and forth via text or voice communications, and make voice calls. Your contact does not need a Garmin profile to use the Messenger app, only a phone number is enough to register for texts.
Texting on the watch functions fine but typing out texts on the small on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It includes a set of customisable canned replies you can send to expedite communication. Spoken messages and calls perform acceptably, although as with the majority of wearables, you’re unlikely going to want to use it for lengthy conversations as the audio clarity is not fantastic.
LiveTrack is the most useful function. You can configure to automatically transmit a URL to selected contacts every time you begin an exercise, so they can follow your live location on a map. It’s great for monitoring race performance, but it primarily serves as a tool for someone you trust to know your whereabouts in case an incident occurs. It has typically worked well, though the actual position has occasionally been delayed when moving in and out of good LTE coverage.
All of these capabilities are available on other Garmin devices if you carry your phone with you, but in areas where LTE does not reach, the orbital activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, position updates and SOS SOS.
A guide displays you how to find the line of sight to the orbital system, which then transmits and gets messages within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was surprisingly easy to use and could be a crucial lifeline, though it is essential to remember that satellite service is restricted to the US mainland, the majority of Canada, and the majority of Europe except for parts of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees north.
Environmental Impact
The watch is typically serviceable with services offered through the support portal. The battery is certified to maintain at least 90% of its initial capacity after two years of weekly charging. The watch lacks any reused materials. Garmin offers disposal programs on new purchases.
Price
This Fenix 8 Pro costs from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The optional Garmin inReach subscription plans begin from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Conclusion
This Fenix 8 Pro builds on a excellent adventure watch in the standard Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for messaging, calls and LiveTrack – plus orbital messaging, check-in and SOS SOS for when you’re out of signal.
The result is an increasingly impressive adventure tool for those that want to be unplugged. If you want to have someone monitor you remotely while running after dark or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin does so without requiring additional gear.
This is quite liberating to be outdoors without a phone, but that capability carries quite a price, both in terms of the colossal cost of the watch and the monthly subscription of the inReach service to enable the features. At least it isn’t dependent on your phone carrier so works with any make of smartphone and carrier.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier device for someone who hates being burdened by their phone when jogging, biking or trekking, but still desires to be trackable and reachable. For everyone else, it is a significant money when the excellent Fenix 8 is already available.
Pros: LTE and satellite messaging, super-bright OLED display, tracks all activities with premier GPS, integrated flashlight, phone and standalone voice control, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, full offline mapping and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre diving, physical controls and touchscreen.
Cons: extremely expensive, LTE and orbital features need monthly payment, limited Garmin Pay bank compatibility, speech capabilities are sluggish, basic smartwatch functionality compared with Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
