The most recent model of the premium Fenix adventure watch includes a life-saving capability: phone-free communication and SOS alerts using 4G LTE or orbital 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 limited edition. It is Garmin's top model and designed to be the only gadget required to explore almost any location and monitor every activity.
That positions it as an very expensive option, priced from £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED model and reaching a colossal £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm edition with microLED display – almost twice the cost of the standard Fenix 8.
Users receive a significant features for your investment, with best-in-class workout, activity and outdoor monitoring. Its complete offline mapping of the world can automatically direct you return to the trail if you lose your way without a phone, and look excellent on the sizable, sharp and high-luminance display.
The Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively available in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, omitting the more compact 43mm size available in other models, so it is a big watch for larger wrists. But the 47mm OLED version as tested boasts an extra day of watch battery life despite the screen always active, enduring a reliable eight to nine days between charging.
Phone-Free Texting, Calls and Live Tracking
The company uses its own inReach LTE (4G) and orbital service plan rather than depending on a watch plan tied to your phone provider, like other smartwatches. However in contrast to Apple or Google's satellite-capable devices, emergency communication is not included for free.
Rather, plans begin from £7.99 or similar a month, which provides unlimited LTE SMS and voice messaging, calls and LiveTrack location tracking – so your friends or family can monitor you while engaged in running, biking or similar activities – along with emergency satellite SOS alerts.
Check-ins and texts via orbital are then billed on top, with more expensive plans including various allowances of satellite usage, climbing to a £50 a month unlimited plan. The watch comes with a 30-day trial period so you can evaluate the functionality.
Once you have got it set up, you just head out outside without your phone and the watch will link to LTE. You cannot use it for streaming music or similar tasks, but you are able to make and take calls, dispatch texts and generally stay connected with your relatives and friends.
When you message someone, Garmin sends them an SMS from a random phone number, which they can respond to directly to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger app, you can then communicate back and forth using text or spoken communications, and make voice calls. Your contact is not required to have a Garmin profile to use the Messenger app, only a phone number is enough to register for texts.
Texting on the watch functions adequately but composing texts on the small on-screen keyboard is slow. It includes a collection of customisable canned responses you can send to speed things up. Spoken messages and calls work acceptably, though as with most smartwatches, you’re not going to want to use it for lengthy discussions as the audio clarity is not fantastic.
LiveTrack is the handiest feature. You can set it up to automatically transmit a URL to chosen contacts whenever you begin an exercise, so they can track your real time location on a map. It’s excellent for monitoring race progress, but it mostly serves as a tool for someone you trust to be aware of your whereabouts in case something happens. It has typically functioned effectively, though the real position has occasionally been delayed when moving in and out of good LTE signal.
These capabilities are available on other Garmin devices if you bring your phone with you, but in areas where LTE lacks coverage, the satellite activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, position updates and emergency SOS.
A on-screen assistance shows you how to locate the clear view to the satellite, which then transmits and gets messages within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was unexpectedly straightforward to use and could be a crucial safety feature, though it is important to remember that satellite coverage is restricted to the US mainland, most of Canada, and most of Europe except for regions of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees north.
Environmental Impact
The watch is generally 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 does not contain any reused materials. Garmin offers recycling programs on recent purchases.
Price
The Fenix 8 Pro costs from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The additional Garmin inReach subscription plans begin 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 adds LTE for texting, call functionality and LiveTrack – plus satellite communication, location update and emergency SOS for when you’re out of coverage.
The result is an increasingly impressive adventure device for those that desire to be unplugged. If you want to have someone keep an eye on you remotely while running out at night 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 substantial price of the watch and the recurring fee of the inReach plan to provide the service. Fortunately it is not reliant on your phone provider so functions with all make of smartphone and network.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier gadget for someone who dislikes being weighed down by their phone when running, cycling or hiking, but nevertheless desires to be locatable and reachable. For other users, it is a significant expense when the superb Fenix 8 already exists.
Advantages: LTE and satellite communication, high-luminance OLED screen, monitors everything with best-in-class GPS, integrated torch, voice and offline commands, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, complete offline maps and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre diving, physical controls and touchscreen.
Cons: very expensive, LTE and satellite functions need ongoing subscription, limited Garmin Pay bank compatibility, speech features are slow, limited wearable features compared with Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
