This latest version of the premium Fenix outdoor timepiece brings a life-saving capability: no-phone messaging and SOS messaging via 4G LTE or orbital links.
This Fenix 8 Pro builds upon the already impressive Fenix 8 by incorporating cutting-edge cellular technology, plus an available advanced microLED display in a special edition. It is Garmin's top device and engineered to be the single gadget required to explore almost any location and monitor every activity.
That positions it as an very expensive proposition, starting at £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED model and climbing to a substantial £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm edition with microLED screen – almost double the price of the regular Fenix 8.
You do receive a significant features for your money, with industry-leading workout, activity and outdoor tracking. The complete offline mapping of the globe can automatically direct you back to the path if you lose your way absent a phone, and look great on the large, crisp and high-luminance display.
The Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively offered in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, not the more compact 43mm version found in other devices, so it is a big watch for bigger wrists. But the 47mm OLED model as reviewed does have an extra day of watch battery life even with the screen on all the time, lasting a solid eight to nine days between charging.
Phone-Free Texting, Calling and Live Tracking
The company uses its own inReach LTE (4G) and satellite subscription plan rather than depending on a watch plan tied to your phone provider, like other smartwatches. However unlike competing satellite-enabled devices, SOS messaging is not provided for free.
Rather, plans begin from £7.99 or equivalent a month, which includes limitless LTE SMS and voice messages, call functionality and LiveTrack position tracking – so your contacts or family can monitor you while engaged in running, cycling or similar activities – plus SOS satellite SOS messaging.
Location updates and messages over orbital are then billed additionally, with higher-tier subscriptions offering various quotas of orbital use, increasing to a £50 a month unlimited subscription. The watch includes a 30-day free trial so you can test out the service.
After you have got it set up, you just venture outside minus your phone and the watch will link to LTE. You can not use it for playing music or similar tasks, but you can make and take calls, dispatch texts and generally stay connected with your relatives and companions.
When you text someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a random number, which they can reply to back to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger app, you can then message back and forth using typed or voice communications, and initiate voice calls. Your recipient does not need a Garmin profile to use the Messenger application, only a mobile number is enough to register for texts.
Messaging on the watch functions adequately but typing out texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is slow. It has a collection of customisable canned responses you can use to expedite communication. Spoken messages and calls work OK, although as with the majority of wearables, you’re unlikely going to want to use it for extended discussions as the quality is less than ideal.
LiveTrack is the most useful feature. You can set it up to automatically send a URL to selected contacts whenever you start an exercise, so they can follow your live location on a map. It’s great for monitoring competition progress, but it primarily serves as a tool for someone you trust to know your whereabouts in case an incident occurs. It has generally worked effectively, although the real position has occasionally lagged when transitioning in and out of strong LTE coverage.
All of these features are available on other Garmin devices if you bring your phone with you, but in locations where LTE lacks coverage, the orbital activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, location check-ins and emergency SOS.
A guide displays you how to locate 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 lifeline, though it is important to remember that satellite service is limited to the US continent, the majority of Canada, and most of Europe except for parts of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees latitude.
Sustainability
The watch is typically serviceable with services offered via the support portal. The battery is rated to maintain at least 90% of its original power after two years of weekly charging. The watch does not contain any reused components. Garmin provides recycling schemes on recent 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 plans begin from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Conclusion
The Fenix 8 Pro takes a excellent outdoor watch in the standard Fenix 8 and adds LTE for texting, call functionality and LiveTrack – along with satellite communication, check-in and SOS SOS for when you’re out of coverage.
Outcome is an even more impressive outdoor tool for those that desire to be phone-free. If you want to have someone keep an eye on you from afar while running out at night or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin accomplishes this without requiring anything else.
This is very liberating to be outside without a phone, but that functionality comes at quite a cost, both in terms of the substantial price of the watch and the recurring fee of the inReach service to enable the features. At least it is not dependent on your phone provider so functions with any brand of smartphone and carrier.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier device for someone who dislikes being burdened by their phone when running, biking or trekking, but still wants to be trackable and contactable. For other users, it is a significant expense when the excellent Fenix 8 is already available.
Advantages: LTE and orbital communication, high-luminance OLED screen, monitors all activities with best-in-class GPS, built-in torch, voice and standalone voice control, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, full offline maps and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre diving, buttons and touch.
Drawbacks: very costly, LTE and orbital functions require ongoing payment, restricted Garmin Pay bank support, voice features are sluggish, limited wearable functionality compared with competing watches.
