The latest version of the flagship Fenix outdoor watch introduces a potentially lifesaving feature: phone-free communication and SOS messaging using 4G LTE or satellite links.
This Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the previously impressive Fenix 8 by incorporating cutting-edge mobile technology, plus an available advanced microLED screen in a special edition. This is the brand's premier model and designed to be the single tool required to venture virtually anywhere and monitor every activity.
That makes it an very pricey proposition, priced from £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED model and climbing to a colossal £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm edition with microLED display – almost double the cost of the regular Fenix 8.
Users get a significant features for your investment, with best-in-class fitness, movement and outdoor tracking. Its full offline mapping of the world can automatically direct you back to the path if you lose your way without a phone, and appear excellent on the sizable, sharp and super-bright touchscreen.
The Fenix 8 Pro is only available in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, not the more compact 43mm size available in other devices, so it is a big watch for larger wrists. However the 47mm OLED version as tested does have an extra day of smartwatch battery life despite the display on all the time, enduring a reliable eight to nine days between charges.
Phone-Free Texting, Calls and Real-Time Location
The company uses its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and satellite subscription service rather than depending on a watch plan linked to your phone carrier, as with other wearables. But unlike competing satellite-enabled products, SOS communication is not provided for free.
Instead, plans start at £7.99 or equivalent a month, which provides limitless LTE SMS and voice messages, call functionality and LiveTrack location sharing – so your friends or loved ones can monitor you while engaged in running, biking or comparable activities – plus emergency orbital SOS messaging.
Location updates and messages over satellite are then charged on top, with more expensive subscriptions including various allowances of satellite use, increasing to a £50 a month unlimited plan. The watch includes a 30-day free trial so you can test out the functionality.
After you have got it set up, you simply head out the door minus your phone and the watch will link to LTE. You cannot use it for playing music or similar tasks, but you are able to make and take calls, send texts and generally keep in touch with your family and companions.
Whenever you text someone, Garmin sends them an SMS from a arbitrary 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 account to use the Messenger app, just a mobile number is sufficient to register for texts.
Messaging on the watch functions adequately but composing texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It includes a set of personalizable canned replies you can send to speed things up. Spoken recordings and calls work OK, although as with the majority of smartwatches, you’re unlikely going to wish to use it for lengthy discussions as the audio clarity is less than fantastic.
LiveTrack is the most useful feature. You can set it up to automatically send a URL to chosen contacts whenever you begin an activity, so they can track your live position on a map. It’s great for monitoring competition performance, but it primarily serves as a tool for someone you rely on to know your location in case something happens. It has typically functioned well, though the actual location has sometimes lagged when transitioning in and out of good LTE coverage.
These capabilities are available on other Garmin devices if you carry your phone with you, but in locations where LTE does not reach, the orbital activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, location check-ins and SOS SOS.
A guide shows you how to locate the clear view to the orbital system, which then sends and receives communications within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was unexpectedly easy to use and could be a vital safety feature, however it is essential to remember that satellite coverage is limited to the US mainland, most of Canada, and the majority of Europe except for regions of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees latitude.
Sustainability
The watch is typically serviceable with services available via the support site. The battery is rated to maintain at least 90% of its initial capacity after two years of regular charging. The watch does not contain any recycled components. Garmin offers recycling schemes on recent purchases.
Price
This Fenix 8 Pro costs 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 takes a excellent adventure watch in the regular Fenix 8 and adds LTE for messaging, calls and LiveTrack – plus orbital messaging, location update and emergency SOS for when you’re without signal.
Outcome is an increasingly remarkable adventure tool for those that desire to be phone-free. If you wish to have someone keep an eye on you remotely while running out at night or in the remote areas, the Garmin accomplishes this without requiring anything else.
It is quite liberating to be outside without a phone, but that capability carries quite a cost, both in terms of the substantial price of the watch and the monthly fee of the inReach service to provide the features. Fortunately it is not reliant on your phone carrier so works with all make of smartphone and carrier.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier gadget for someone who dislikes being weighed down by their phone when jogging, cycling or trekking, but nevertheless desires to be locatable and contactable. For other users, it is a significant money when the excellent Fenix 8 already exists.
Pros: LTE and orbital communication, high-luminance OLED display, tracks everything with premier GPS, built-in torch, phone and standalone voice control, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, full offline mapping and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre underwater use, physical controls and touch.
Cons: very expensive, LTE and satellite functions require ongoing subscription, restricted Garmin Pay bank compatibility, voice capabilities are slow, basic wearable functionality compared with competing watches.
