This most recent version of the top-tier Fenix adventure timepiece includes a potentially lifesaving capability: no-phone communication and SOS messaging using 4G LTE or orbital links.
The Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the already impressive Fenix 8 by incorporating new mobile tech, along with an optional advanced microLED display in a special edition. It is Garmin's premier model and engineered to be the only gadget needed to explore almost any location and monitor every activity.
This positions it as an extremely pricey proposition, starting at £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED version and reaching a colossal £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm variant with microLED display – almost twice the price of the standard Fenix 8.
Users get a significant features for your investment, with industry-leading fitness, movement and adventure tracking. The full offline mapping of the globe can automatically guide you return to the path if you get lost absent a phone, and appear great on the sizable, crisp and high-luminance touchscreen.
This Fenix 8 Pro is only available in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, not the smaller 43mm version found in other models, so it is a big watch for bigger wrists. However the 47mm OLED model as tested boasts an extra day of smartwatch battery life even with the screen always active, enduring a solid eight to nine days between charges.
Phone-Free Messaging, Calling and Real-Time Location
The company operates its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and satellite subscription service rather than relying on a watch plan tied to your phone carrier, like other smartwatches. However unlike competing satellite-enabled devices, emergency communication is not included for free.
Rather, subscriptions start at £7.99 or equivalent a month, which includes unlimited LTE text and audio messages, calls and LiveTrack position tracking – so your friends or family can monitor you while engaged in jogging, cycling or comparable pursuits – plus emergency satellite SOS alerts.
Check-ins and messages via satellite are then billed additionally, with more expensive plans including different quotas of satellite use, increasing to a £50 a month unlimited subscription. The watch comes with a 30-day trial period so you can evaluate the service.
Once you have completed setup, you just head out the door without your phone and the watch will link to LTE. You cannot use it for playing music or similar activities, but you are able to place and receive calls, dispatch texts and generally keep in touch with your relatives and friends.
When you message 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 make voice calls. Your recipient is not required to have a Garmin profile to use the Messenger app, only a phone number is enough to register for texts.
Messaging on the watch works fine but typing out texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is slow. It includes a set of customisable pre-set replies you can send to expedite communication. Spoken messages and calls perform OK, although as with most wearables, you’re not going to want to use it for extended discussions as the quality is not ideal.
LiveTrack is the most useful feature. You can configure to on its own send a link to chosen contacts whenever you begin an exercise, so they can follow your live position on a map. It’s great for monitoring race progress, but it primarily serves as a utility for someone you trust to be aware of your whereabouts in case something happens. It has generally functioned effectively, although the actual position has occasionally lagged when moving in and out of good LTE coverage.
These capabilities are accessible on other Garmin devices 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, position check-ins and SOS SOS.
A guide displays 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 essential to note that orbital service is restricted to the US continent, most of Canada, and the majority of Europe excluding regions of Scandinavia above 65 degrees north.
Environmental Impact
The watch is typically serviceable with services offered via the support site. The battery is certified to retain at least 90% of its original power after two years of regular charging. The watch lacks any recycled materials. Garmin offers disposal programs on recent purchases.
Price
The Fenix 8 Pro costs from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The optional Garmin inReach subscription packages cost from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Conclusion
This Fenix 8 Pro takes a excellent adventure watch in the standard Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for texting, call functionality and LiveTrack – plus orbital messaging, location update and SOS SOS for when you’re out of signal.
The result is an increasingly remarkable outdoor device for those that want to be unplugged. If you want to have someone keep an eye on you remotely while exercising after dark or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin does so without needing additional gear.
It is very liberating to be outdoors without a phone, but that functionality carries a significant cost, both in terms of the substantial price of the watch and the recurring fee of the inReach plan to provide the features. At least it isn’t reliant on your phone carrier so functions with any brand of smartphone and network.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a killer gadget for someone who dislikes being burdened by their phone when running, cycling or trekking, but nevertheless wants to be locatable and contactable. For other users, it is a significant expense when the superb Fenix 8 already exists.
Advantages: LTE and orbital communication, high-luminance OLED display, monitors all activities with premier GPS, integrated torch, phone and standalone voice control, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, full offline maps and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre diving, buttons and touchscreen.
Drawbacks: very expensive, LTE and satellite functions need ongoing subscription, limited Garmin Pay bank support, voice features are slow, basic smartwatch features compared with Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
