The most recent model of the premium Fenix outdoor watch includes a potentially lifesaving feature: no-phone messaging and emergency alerts using 4G LTE or satellite connections.
The Fenix 8 Pro enhances the previously impressive Fenix 8 by adding new mobile tech, along with an optional advanced microLED display in a special edition. This is the brand's premier model and designed to be the single tool needed to explore almost any location and monitor every activity.
This makes it an extremely expensive proposition, 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 display – nearly twice the price of the regular Fenix 8.
Users get a lot of functionality for your investment, with industry-leading fitness, activity and outdoor tracking. Its complete offline maps of the globe can seamlessly direct you return to the path if you get lost absent a phone, and look excellent on the large, crisp and high-luminance display.
The Fenix 8 Pro is only available in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, not the smaller 43mm size found in other devices, so it is a big watch for larger wrists. But the 47mm OLED version as tested does have an extra day of watch battery life despite the screen always active, lasting a reliable eight to nine days between charges.
No-Phone Texting, Calling and Real-Time Location
The company operates its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and orbital subscription plan rather than depending on a watch plan linked to your phone carrier, like other wearables. However unlike competing satellite-enabled devices, SOS messaging is not provided for free.
Instead, plans start at £7.99 or equivalent a month, which includes limitless LTE SMS and voice messaging, call functionality and LiveTrack location tracking – so your friends or family can monitor you while out jogging, biking or comparable activities – plus SOS orbital SOS alerts.
Check-ins and messages via orbital are then billed on top, with more expensive plans offering various allowances of satellite usage, climbing to a £50 a month unlimited subscription. The watch includes a 30-day trial period so you can test out the service.
After you have completed setup, you just venture the door without your phone and the watch will link to LTE. You can not use it for playing music or similar activities, but you are able to place and receive calls, dispatch texts and generally stay connected with your relatives and companions.
When you message someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a arbitrary phone number, which they can reply to directly to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger app, you can then message back and forth via text or voice 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 enough to sign up for texts.
Texting on the watch works adequately but typing out texts on the small on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It has a collection of personalizable pre-set responses you can use to expedite communication. Voice messages and calls work OK, though as with the majority of wearables, you’re not going to want to use it for lengthy discussions as the quality is less than ideal.
LiveTrack is the most useful feature. You can set it up to automatically transmit a link to chosen contacts whenever you begin an activity, so they can follow your real time location on a map. It’s great for following competition performance, but it primarily acts as a utility for someone you trust to be aware of your whereabouts in case an incident occurs. It has generally functioned effectively, though the actual position has occasionally lagged when moving in and out of strong LTE signal.
All of these capabilities are available on other Garmin watches if you bring your phone with you, but in locations where LTE does not reach, the satellite activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, location updates and SOS SOS.
A guide displays you how to find the clear view to the orbital system, which then sends and receives communications within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was surprisingly straightforward to use and could be a vital lifeline, however it is important to note that satellite coverage is limited to the US mainland, most of Canada, and most of Europe except for regions of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees north.
Sustainability
The watch is generally 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 weekly charging. The watch does not contain any recycled materials. Garmin offers disposal programs on recent purchases.
Cost
The Fenix 8 Pro is priced from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The additional Garmin inReach subscription packages cost from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Verdict
This Fenix 8 Pro builds on a excellent outdoor watch in the regular Fenix 8 and adds LTE for texting, calls and LiveTrack – plus satellite communication, location update and emergency SOS for when you’re without coverage.
Outcome is an increasingly impressive outdoor device for those that want to be phone-free. If you wish to have someone keep an eye on you from afar while exercising after dark or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin does so without needing anything else.
It is very freeing to be outside without a phone, but that capability carries quite a price, both in terms of the colossal cost of the watch and the monthly fee of the inReach plan to provide the features. Fortunately it isn’t dependent on your phone provider so functions with any brand of smartphone and network.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a killer gadget for someone who dislikes being burdened by their phone when running, biking or trekking, but still desires to be locatable and contactable. For everyone else, it is a lot of money when the superb Fenix 8 is already available.
Advantages: LTE and orbital communication, high-luminance OLED screen, tracks everything with best-in-class GPS, built-in flashlight, phone and standalone voice control, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, complete offline mapping and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre underwater use, buttons and touchscreen.
Drawbacks: very expensive, LTE and satellite features need ongoing subscription, restricted Garmin Pay financial compatibility, speech capabilities are slow, basic wearable features compared with competing watches.
