This newest model of the premium Fenix adventure watch introduces a life-saving feature: no-phone communication and emergency messaging via 4G LTE or orbital connections.
The Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the previously outstanding Fenix 8 by incorporating new cellular tech, along with an optional advanced microLED screen in a limited edition. It is the brand's top model and engineered to be the single gadget required to venture almost any location and monitor all your movements.
That positions it as an very pricey option, priced from £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 display – almost twice the price of the standard Fenix 8.
Users receive a significant features for your investment, with best-in-class fitness, activity and outdoor monitoring. Its full offline mapping of the world can automatically direct you back to the path if you lose your way without a phone, and look great on the large, sharp and high-luminance display.
This Fenix 8 Pro is only offered in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, not the smaller 43mm version found in other devices, so it is a big watch for larger wrists. But the 47mm OLED model as tested boasts an extra day of smartwatch battery life despite the display on all the time, lasting a reliable eight to nine days between charging.
Phone-Free Messaging, Calls and Real-Time Location
The company operates its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and orbital service service instead of relying on a watch plan linked to your mobile provider, as with other smartwatches. However in contrast to competing satellite-enabled devices, emergency messaging is not provided for free.
Instead, subscriptions begin from £7.99 or equivalent a month, which includes unlimited LTE SMS and audio messaging, calls and LiveTrack location tracking – so your contacts or family can monitor you while out jogging, cycling or similar pursuits – along with SOS satellite SOS alerts.
Check-ins and texts via satellite are then charged on top, with higher-tier subscriptions offering different allowances of orbital usage, increasing to a £50 a month all-inclusive plan. The watch comes with a 30-day free trial so you can test out the functionality.
After you have completed setup, you simply head out outside minus your phone and the watch will link to LTE. You can not use it for playing music or comparable tasks, but you can place and receive calls, dispatch texts and generally keep in touch with your relatives and friends.
When you text someone, Garmin sends 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 message back and forth via typed or voice messages, and make voice calls. Your recipient is not required to have a Garmin account to use the Messenger app, just a mobile number is enough to register for texts.
Messaging on the watch functions adequately but composing texts on the small on-screen keyboard is slow. It has a set of personalizable canned responses you can use to expedite communication. Spoken recordings and calls work acceptably, although as with most smartwatches, you’re unlikely going to want to use it for extended conversations as the quality is less than fantastic.
LiveTrack is the most useful feature. You can set it up to on its own send a link to selected contacts every time you begin an exercise, so they can track your real time position on a map. It’s great for monitoring race progress, but it primarily serves as a utility for someone you rely on to be aware of your whereabouts in case an incident occurs. It has generally functioned well, though the actual location has occasionally lagged when moving in and out of strong LTE coverage.
All of these capabilities are accessible on other Garmin watches if you carry your phone with you, but in locations where LTE lacks coverage, the orbital activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, position check-ins and emergency SOS.
A guide displays you how to locate the clear view to the orbital system, which then transmits and gets messages within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was unexpectedly easy to use and could be a vital lifeline, however it is essential to note that orbital coverage is limited to the US continent, the majority of Canada, and the majority of Europe excluding parts of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees north.
Environmental Impact
The watch is typically serviceable with services offered through the customer service portal. The battery is certified to retain at least 90% of its original capacity after two years of weekly charging. The watch lacks any recycled materials. Garmin provides disposal programs on recent purchases.
Cost
This Fenix 8 Pro costs from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The additional Garmin inReach service plans cost from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Conclusion
This Fenix 8 Pro builds on a excellent outdoor watch in the regular Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for texting, calls and LiveTrack – along with orbital messaging, check-in and SOS SOS for when you’re out of coverage.
Outcome is an increasingly remarkable adventure tool for those that want to be phone-free. If you wish to have someone monitor you from afar while exercising after dark or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin accomplishes this without requiring anything else.
This is quite freeing to be outdoors without a phone, but that functionality carries a significant price, both in terms of the substantial cost of the watch and the recurring fee of the inReach plan to provide the service. At least it isn’t dependent on your phone provider so functions with all make of smartphone and carrier.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a killer device for someone who hates being burdened by their phone when jogging, cycling or trekking, but nevertheless desires to be locatable and contactable. For everyone else, it is a significant expense when the excellent Fenix 8 already exists.
Advantages: LTE and orbital messaging, high-luminance OLED screen, monitors all activities with premier GPS, built-in flashlight, voice and offline voice control, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, complete offline maps and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre diving, physical controls and touchscreen.
Drawbacks: very costly, LTE and orbital functions need ongoing payment, restricted Garmin Pay financial support, voice capabilities are sluggish, basic wearable functionality compared with Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
