This latest version of the premium Fenix outdoor timepiece includes a life-saving feature: phone-free communication and SOS messaging using 4G LTE or orbital connections.
This Fenix 8 Pro enhances the previously outstanding Fenix 8 by incorporating cutting-edge cellular tech, along with an optional advanced microLED display in a limited edition. This is the brand's premier device and designed to be the only gadget required to explore virtually any location and monitor every activity.
That makes it an very expensive option, priced from £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED version and climbing to a substantial £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm variant with microLED display – nearly twice the price of the regular Fenix 8.
Users get a significant features for your money, with best-in-class fitness, movement and outdoor monitoring. Its complete offline maps of the world can seamlessly direct you back to the trail if you get lost without a phone, and look excellent on the large, sharp and high-luminance touchscreen.
The Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively available in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, omitting the smaller 43mm version found in other models, so it is a big watch for larger wrists. However the 47mm OLED version as tested boasts an extra day of watch battery life despite the screen on all the time, enduring a reliable eight to nine days between charges.
Phone-Free Messaging, Calls and Real-Time Location
The company uses its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and orbital service plan instead of relying on a watch plan tied to your mobile carrier, like other wearables. But in contrast to Apple or Google's satellite-capable devices, SOS messaging is not provided for no cost.
Instead, plans begin from £7.99 or similar a month, which includes unlimited LTE text and audio messages, calls and LiveTrack position sharing – so your friends or family can keep an eye on you while out jogging, biking or comparable pursuits – plus emergency satellite SOS alerts.
Location updates and texts over satellite are then charged on top, with more expensive subscriptions offering various allowances of orbital use, increasing to a £50 a month unlimited subscription. The watch includes a 30-day free trial so you can evaluate the service.
Once you have completed setup, you simply venture outside minus your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You cannot use it for streaming music or comparable activities, but you can make and take calls, send texts and generally stay connected with your relatives and friends.
When you message someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a random number, which they can reply to directly to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger application, you can then message reciprocally using typed or spoken communications, and make voice calls. Your contact does not need a Garmin account to use the Messenger application, only a phone number is sufficient to sign up for texts.
Messaging on the watch functions fine but composing texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is slow. It includes a collection of personalizable canned replies you can use to expedite communication. Spoken recordings and calls perform acceptably, though as with the majority of wearables, you’re not going to wish to use it for lengthy conversations as the audio clarity is less than ideal.
LiveTrack is the most useful function. You can configure to on its own transmit a link to chosen contacts every time you begin an activity, so they can follow your real time position on a map. It’s great for following race performance, but it mostly acts as a utility for someone you trust to know your whereabouts in case an incident occurs. It has generally worked well, although the real position has sometimes been delayed when moving in and out of good LTE coverage.
All of these features are available on other Garmin watches if you bring your phone with you, but in locations where LTE does not reach, the orbital activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, location updates and SOS SOS.
A on-screen assistance displays you how to locate the clear view to the satellite, which then transmits and gets communications within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was surprisingly easy to use and could be a crucial safety feature, though it is important to remember that satellite service is restricted to the US continent, most of Canada, and the majority of Europe except for parts of Scandinavia above 65 degrees latitude.
Sustainability
The watch is typically repairable with options available through the customer service portal. The battery is rated to retain at least 90% of its original capacity after two years of weekly charging. The watch lacks any reused materials. Garmin provides disposal programs on recent purchases.
Price
This Fenix 8 Pro costs from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The optional Garmin inReach service packages cost from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Verdict
The Fenix 8 Pro builds on a excellent adventure watch in the standard Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for texting, calls and LiveTrack – plus orbital messaging, check-in and emergency SOS for when you’re out of signal.
Outcome is an increasingly remarkable adventure device for those that desire to be unplugged. If you wish to have someone keep an eye on you remotely while exercising out at night or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin accomplishes this without needing additional gear.
This is quite freeing to be outside without a phone, but that functionality carries a significant cost, both in terms of the substantial price of the watch and the monthly fee of the inReach plan to provide the service. At least it is not reliant on your phone carrier so works with all brand 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, biking or hiking, but still wants to be trackable and contactable. For everyone else, it is a significant expense when the excellent Fenix 8 already exists.
Pros: LTE and orbital communication, super-bright OLED display, monitors all activities with premier GPS, built-in torch, phone and offline voice control, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, full offline mapping and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre diving, buttons and touch.
Drawbacks: extremely expensive, LTE and orbital features require ongoing subscription, restricted Garmin Pay bank support, voice capabilities are slow, basic smartwatch functionality versus Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
