This latest iteration of the flagship Fenix outdoor watch introduces a potentially lifesaving feature: no-phone messaging and SOS alerts using 4G LTE or satellite links.
The Fenix 8 Pro builds upon the previously impressive Fenix 8 by incorporating new cellular technology, along with an optional state-of-the-art microLED screen in a limited edition. It is the brand's premier device and engineered to be the single tool required to venture almost any location and monitor every activity.
This positions it as an very expensive 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 variant with microLED display – almost double the price of the standard Fenix 8.
Users get a significant functionality for your money, with best-in-class fitness, movement and adventure monitoring. The complete offline maps of the world can automatically guide you return to the path if you get lost absent a phone, and look excellent on the sizable, crisp and super-bright touchscreen.
This Fenix 8 Pro is only offered in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, not the more compact 43mm version found in other devices, so it is a big watch for larger wrists. However the 47mm OLED version as reviewed boasts an extra day of watch battery life despite the display always active, enduring a solid eight to nine days between charges.
Phone-Free Texting, Calls and Live Tracking
Garmin operates its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and satellite service plan instead of depending on a watch plan tied to your phone carrier, as with other wearables. However unlike Apple or Google's satellite-capable products, SOS communication is not provided for free.
Rather, plans start at £7.99 or equivalent a month, which provides limitless LTE SMS and audio messaging, call functionality and LiveTrack position tracking – so your friends or family can monitor you while engaged in jogging, cycling or comparable activities – along with SOS satellite SOS alerts.
Check-ins and messages over orbital are then billed additionally, with more expensive subscriptions including different quotas of orbital usage, increasing to a £50 a month all-inclusive plan. The watch comes with a 30-day free trial so you can evaluate the service.
After you have got it set up, you simply venture outside 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 make and take calls, send texts and generally stay connected with your family and friends.
When you text someone, Garmin sends them an SMS from a arbitrary number, which they can respond to back to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger app, you can then communicate reciprocally via text or spoken communications, and make voice calls. Your contact does not need a Garmin profile to use the Messenger application, only a phone number is enough to sign up for texts.
Texting on the watch functions adequately but composing texts on the small on-screen keyboard is slow. It includes a collection of personalizable canned replies you can send to expedite communication. Voice messages and calls perform acceptably, though as with the majority of wearables, you’re unlikely going to wish to use it for lengthy discussions as the quality is not ideal.
LiveTrack is the handiest feature. You can configure to on its own send a link to chosen contacts whenever you start an exercise, so they can follow your real time position on a map. It’s great for monitoring competition performance, but it mostly serves as a tool for someone you trust to know your location in case something happens. It has typically worked effectively, although the real location has sometimes lagged when transitioning in and out of strong LTE coverage.
All of these features are available on other Garmin watches if you carry 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 SOS SOS.
A guide displays you how to find 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 vital lifeline, though it is important to remember that satellite coverage is restricted to the US continent, most of Canada, and the majority of Europe excluding regions of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees latitude.
Sustainability
The watch is typically repairable with options offered via the support portal. The battery is rated 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 disposal schemes on new purchases.
Cost
This Fenix 8 Pro is priced 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
The Fenix 8 Pro takes a excellent outdoor watch in the regular Fenix 8 and adds LTE for texting, call functionality and LiveTrack – plus orbital communication, location update and emergency SOS for when you’re without signal.
The result is an even more remarkable adventure tool for those that desire to be phone-free. If you want to have someone keep an eye on you from afar while exercising out at night or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin accomplishes this without requiring additional gear.
It is quite liberating to be outside without a phone, but that functionality comes at a significant cost, both in terms of the colossal cost of the watch and the monthly subscription of the inReach plan to enable the service. Fortunately it is not dependent on your phone carrier so functions with all make of smartphone and carrier.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier device for someone who hates being burdened by their phone when jogging, biking or trekking, but still desires to be locatable and reachable. For everyone else, it is a significant expense when the superb Fenix 8 is already available.
Pros: LTE and satellite communication, high-luminance OLED display, tracks all activities with best-in-class GPS, built-in flashlight, voice and standalone commands, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, full offline maps and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre underwater use, physical controls and touch.
Drawbacks: extremely costly, LTE and satellite functions require ongoing payment, limited Garmin Pay bank support, voice features are slow, limited wearable functionality versus Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
