This latest iteration of the top-tier Fenix outdoor watch introduces a life-saving capability: no-phone messaging and SOS alerts via 4G LTE or satellite links.
The Fenix 8 Pro builds upon the already impressive Fenix 8 by incorporating new mobile tech, along with an optional advanced microLED screen in a special edition. It is the brand's premier device and designed to be the single gadget needed to explore almost any location and track all your movements.
This makes it an extremely pricey option, priced from £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 screen – almost twice the price of the standard Fenix 8.
Users get a significant functionality for your investment, with best-in-class fitness, activity and outdoor monitoring. The full offline mapping of the globe can automatically guide you back to the path if you get lost absent a phone, and look great on the sizable, sharp and super-bright touchscreen.
This Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively offered in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, omitting the more compact 43mm size available in other devices, so it is a large watch for larger wrists. However the 47mm OLED version as reviewed does have an additional day of watch battery life despite the display on all the time, enduring a reliable eight to nine days between charges.
No-Phone Texting, Calling and Real-Time Location
Garmin operates its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and satellite service plan instead of depending on a watch plan linked to your mobile carrier, as with other wearables. However unlike Apple or Google's satellite-enabled devices, SOS communication is not included for no cost.
Rather, plans start at £7.99 or equivalent a month, which includes limitless LTE text and voice messaging, calls and LiveTrack position sharing – so your friends or loved ones can monitor you while engaged in jogging, cycling or comparable activities – plus emergency satellite SOS messaging.
Location updates and texts over satellite are then charged additionally, with more expensive subscriptions offering various allowances of orbital use, increasing to a £50 a month all-inclusive subscription. The watch includes a 30-day trial period so you can test out the functionality.
After you have completed setup, you just venture the door minus your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You can not use it for playing music or comparable tasks, but you can make and take calls, dispatch texts and generally stay connected with your relatives and companions.
Whenever you text someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a random number, which they can respond to directly to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger app, you can then message reciprocally via typed or spoken communications, and initiate voice calls. Your contact is not required to have a Garmin profile to use the Messenger app, just a mobile number is enough to sign up for texts.
Texting on the watch functions adequately but composing texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is slow. It has a set of customisable canned responses you can send to speed things up. Spoken recordings and calls work OK, although as with the majority of smartwatches, you’re not going to want to use it for lengthy conversations as the audio clarity is not ideal.
LiveTrack is the most useful function. You can set it up 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 great for following competition performance, but it mostly serves as a utility for someone you rely on to know your location in case something happens. It has typically worked well, though the actual position has sometimes lagged when moving in and out of strong LTE coverage.
All of these capabilities are available on other Garmin devices if you carry your phone with you, but in locations where LTE lacks coverage, the satellite kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, location updates and SOS SOS.
A on-screen assistance shows you how to find 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, however it is essential to note that satellite service is restricted to the US mainland, most of Canada, and the majority of Europe except for regions of Scandinavia above 65 degrees latitude.
Environmental Impact
The watch is generally repairable with options available through the customer service portal. The battery is certified to maintain at least 90% of its original power after two years of regular charging. The watch does not contain any reused materials. 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 plans cost from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Verdict
This Fenix 8 Pro builds on a excellent adventure watch in the standard Fenix 8 and adds LTE for texting, call functionality and LiveTrack – along with orbital messaging, location update and SOS SOS for when you’re out of signal.
The result is an even more remarkable outdoor tool for those that desire to be phone-free. If you wish to have someone keep an eye on you remotely while exercising after dark or in the remote areas, the Garmin accomplishes this without requiring additional gear.
This is quite liberating to be outside without a phone, but that capability comes at a significant cost, both in terms of the substantial cost of the watch and the recurring fee of the inReach service to enable the features. At least it is not reliant on your phone provider so works with all brand of smartphone and network.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier gadget for someone who dislikes being weighed down by their phone when jogging, biking or hiking, but nevertheless desires to be locatable and contactable. For other users, it is a significant money when the superb Fenix 8 is already available.
Advantages: LTE and satellite communication, super-bright OLED screen, monitors all activities with premier GPS, integrated torch, voice and standalone voice control, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, full offline mapping and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre underwater use, physical controls and touchscreen.
Drawbacks: very expensive, LTE and orbital features require ongoing subscription, limited Garmin Pay bank support, voice capabilities are slow, basic smartwatch features compared with competing watches.
