This newest iteration of the flagship Fenix adventure watch includes a potentially lifesaving feature: phone-free communication and SOS messaging via 4G LTE or orbital links.
This Fenix 8 Pro enhances the previously impressive Fenix 8 by adding new cellular tech, along with an optional state-of-the-art microLED screen in a special edition. This is the brand's premier device and designed to be the only gadget required to venture almost any location and monitor every activity.
That positions it as an very expensive option, 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 cost of the standard Fenix 8.
You do get a significant functionality for your investment, with best-in-class fitness, movement and outdoor tracking. Its complete offline mapping of the globe can seamlessly guide you return to the trail if you lose your way absent a phone, and look great on the large, sharp and high-luminance touchscreen.
This Fenix 8 Pro is only offered in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, not the smaller 43mm size available in other models, so it is a big watch for bigger wrists. However the 47mm OLED model as reviewed boasts an extra day of smartwatch battery life even with the display on all the time, enduring a solid eight to nine days between charging.
No-Phone Texting, Calling and Real-Time Location
The company operates its own inReach LTE (4G) and satellite subscription service rather than depending on a watch plan tied to your phone carrier, like other wearables. However unlike Apple or Google's satellite-enabled devices, emergency communication is not provided for free.
Instead, subscriptions start at £7.99 or equivalent a month, which includes unlimited LTE text and voice messages, call functionality and LiveTrack position sharing – so your contacts or family can keep an eye on you while engaged in running, cycling or comparable pursuits – along with emergency orbital SOS messaging.
Location updates and messages over satellite are then billed on top, with higher-tier subscriptions including different allowances of satellite use, climbing to a £50 a month unlimited plan. The watch comes with a 30-day trial period so you can evaluate the functionality.
After you have completed setup, you simply head out the door without your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You cannot use it for streaming music or comparable tasks, but you can make and take calls, send texts and generally keep in touch with your relatives and friends.
Whenever you text someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a arbitrary phone number, which they can respond to back to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger app, you can then communicate back and forth using typed or spoken communications, and initiate voice calls. Your contact does not need a Garmin profile to use the Messenger app, only a mobile number is sufficient to register for texts.
Messaging on the watch functions fine but typing out texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It has a collection of personalizable pre-set replies you can use to speed things up. Spoken messages and calls work OK, though as with the majority of wearables, you’re not going to wish to use it for extended discussions as the audio clarity is not fantastic.
LiveTrack is the handiest function. You can configure to on its own send a link to selected contacts whenever you begin an exercise, so they can track your live location on a map. It’s excellent for following race performance, but it primarily acts as a tool for someone you trust to be aware of your location in case something happens. It has generally worked effectively, although the real position has sometimes lagged when moving in and out of good LTE coverage.
These capabilities are accessible on other Garmin devices if you carry your phone with you, but in areas where LTE lacks coverage, the orbital activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, position check-ins and SOS SOS.
A on-screen assistance displays you how to locate the line of sight to the orbital system, which then transmits and gets messages within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was surprisingly straightforward to use and could be a crucial lifeline, though it is essential to remember that orbital service is limited to the US continent, the majority of Canada, and the majority of Europe except for regions of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees latitude.
Sustainability
The watch is typically serviceable with options offered via the support portal. The battery is rated to retain at least 90% of its initial power after two years of regular charging. The watch does not contain any reused components. Garmin provides disposal schemes on new 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 service packages cost from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Verdict
This Fenix 8 Pro takes a fantastic adventure watch in the standard Fenix 8 and adds LTE for messaging, call functionality and LiveTrack – along with satellite messaging, location update and emergency SOS for when you’re without signal.
The result is an increasingly impressive adventure tool for those that desire 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 does so without needing anything else.
It is very freeing to be outdoors without a phone, but that functionality comes at quite a price, both in terms of the colossal price of the watch and the recurring fee of the inReach plan to provide the features. Fortunately it is not reliant on your phone provider so functions with any make of smartphone and carrier.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier device for someone who dislikes being burdened by their phone when jogging, biking or hiking, but nevertheless desires to be locatable and contactable. For other users, it is a lot of expense when the superb Fenix 8 already exists.
Pros: LTE and orbital communication, high-luminance OLED screen, tracks everything with premier GPS, built-in torch, phone and offline commands, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, complete offline maps and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre diving, physical controls and touchscreen.
Cons: extremely expensive, LTE and orbital features require monthly payment, limited Garmin Pay financial support, voice features are sluggish, basic wearable functionality versus Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
