The most recent iteration of the premium Fenix adventure watch includes a potentially lifesaving feature: phone-free messaging and emergency messaging using 4G LTE or orbital links.
The Fenix 8 Pro enhances the previously impressive Fenix 8 by adding cutting-edge mobile tech, along with an optional state-of-the-art microLED screen in a limited edition. It is the brand's premier model and designed to be the only gadget needed to explore almost any location and monitor every activity.
This positions it as an extremely expensive option, starting at £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED version and reaching a substantial £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm variant with microLED display – almost twice the cost of the regular Fenix 8.
You do get a significant functionality for your money, with industry-leading fitness, movement and adventure monitoring. The full offline mapping of the globe can seamlessly direct you back to the path if you get lost absent a phone, and look great on the sizable, crisp and super-bright touchscreen.
The Fenix 8 Pro is only offered in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, omitting the more compact 43mm version found in other models, so it is a large watch for bigger wrists. However the 47mm OLED model as tested boasts an additional day of watch battery life even with the screen on all the time, enduring a reliable eight to nine days between charging.
Phone-Free Texting, Calling and Real-Time Location
The company uses its own inReach LTE (4G) and satellite service service instead of relying on a watch plan tied to your phone carrier, as with other wearables. However unlike competing satellite-capable devices, emergency messaging is not provided for free.
Rather, subscriptions begin from £7.99 or equivalent a month, which provides unlimited LTE SMS and voice messages, call functionality and LiveTrack location tracking – so your contacts or family can keep an eye on you while out running, cycling or comparable activities – plus SOS satellite SOS messaging.
Check-ins and messages over orbital are then charged additionally, with more expensive plans offering different quotas of orbital use, increasing to a £50 a month all-inclusive subscription. The watch includes a 30-day trial period so you can evaluate the functionality.
After you have completed setup, you simply head out outside without your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You cannot use it for playing music or comparable activities, but you are able to make and take calls, send texts and overall stay connected with your relatives and companions.
When you text someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a random phone number, which they can respond to back to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger app, you can then message reciprocally using typed or voice communications, and initiate voice calls. Your contact does not need a Garmin profile to use the Messenger application, just a phone number is enough to sign up for texts.
Texting on the watch works adequately but composing texts on the small on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It includes a collection of personalizable pre-set responses you can use to expedite communication. Spoken recordings and calls perform OK, though as with the majority of smartwatches, you’re unlikely going to want to use it for lengthy conversations as the quality is not ideal.
LiveTrack is the handiest function. You can set it up to on its own transmit a URL to selected contacts every time you start an exercise, so they can track your real time location on a map. It’s excellent for following race performance, but it primarily serves as a utility for someone you rely on to be aware of your location in case an incident occurs. It has generally functioned well, though the real position has occasionally been delayed when transitioning in and out of good LTE signal.
These features are accessible 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 check-ins and SOS SOS.
A on-screen assistance shows you how to find the line of sight to the orbital system, which then sends and receives messages within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was surprisingly straightforward to use and could be a crucial safety feature, however it is important to remember that satellite service is limited to the US mainland, most of Canada, and most of Europe excluding parts of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees north.
Sustainability
The watch is generally repairable with options offered via the support portal. The battery is rated to retain at least 90% of its initial capacity after two years of regular charging. The watch lacks any recycled materials. Garmin offers recycling schemes on recent purchases.
Cost
This Fenix 8 Pro is priced from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The additional Garmin inReach service packages 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 adds LTE for texting, calls and LiveTrack – plus orbital communication, location update and emergency SOS for when you’re without signal.
The result is an even more remarkable adventure device for those that desire to be phone-free. If you wish to have someone monitor you remotely while running after dark or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin does so without requiring anything else.
This is quite liberating to be outside without a phone, but that capability carries a significant price, both in terms of the substantial cost of the watch and the recurring subscription of the inReach service to provide the service. At least it isn’t reliant on your phone provider so works with all make of smartphone and carrier.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a killer gadget for someone who dislikes being weighed down by their phone when running, cycling or hiking, but nevertheless wants to be trackable and contactable. For other users, it is a significant money when the excellent Fenix 8 already exists.
Pros: LTE and satellite communication, super-bright OLED screen, monitors everything with best-in-class GPS, built-in flashlight, phone and standalone commands, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, complete offline mapping and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre underwater use, physical controls and touch.
Drawbacks: very costly, LTE and satellite functions need monthly subscription, restricted Garmin Pay bank support, speech features are slow, limited wearable features versus Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
