The newest iteration of the top-tier Fenix adventure timepiece introduces a life-saving feature: no-phone communication and emergency messaging using 4G LTE or satellite links.
This Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the already impressive Fenix 8 by adding new cellular technology, along with an optional advanced microLED screen in a special edition. This is the brand's top device and engineered to be the single tool needed to venture almost any location and track every activity.
This makes it an very 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 display – nearly double the price of the regular Fenix 8.
Users receive a lot of functionality for your money, with best-in-class workout, movement and outdoor tracking. Its complete offline mapping of the globe can seamlessly guide you return to the path if you lose your way without a phone, and look excellent on the large, crisp and high-luminance display.
The Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively available in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, not the more compact 43mm version found in other models, so it is a big watch for larger wrists. However the 47mm OLED model as reviewed boasts an additional day of watch battery life even with the display on all the time, enduring a solid eight to nine days between charges.
Phone-Free Messaging, Calls and Live Tracking
Garmin uses its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and satellite service plan instead of relying on a watch plan linked to your phone carrier, like other smartwatches. However unlike competing satellite-enabled devices, SOS communication is not included for free.
Rather, plans start at £7.99 or equivalent a month, which includes unlimited LTE text and voice messaging, calls and LiveTrack position tracking – so your friends or family can keep an eye on you while out jogging, biking or comparable activities – plus emergency satellite SOS messaging.
Location updates and messages over satellite are then charged additionally, with more expensive subscriptions offering different quotas of satellite use, increasing to a £50 a month unlimited subscription. The watch includes a 30-day trial period so you can test out the functionality.
After you have completed setup, you simply head out outside without your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You can not use it for playing music or similar tasks, but you are able to place and receive calls, dispatch texts and generally keep in touch with your relatives and friends.
When you text someone, Garmin sends them an SMS from a random phone number, which they can respond to back to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger app, you can then message reciprocally via typed or spoken messages, and make voice calls. Your contact does not need a Garmin profile to use the Messenger application, only a phone number is sufficient to register for texts.
Messaging on the watch works fine but typing out texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is slow. It has a collection of customisable pre-set responses you can send to speed things up. Voice recordings and calls perform acceptably, although as with most smartwatches, you’re unlikely going to want to use it for extended discussions as the quality is not fantastic.
LiveTrack is the most useful function. You can set it up to automatically send a URL to chosen contacts whenever you start an activity, so they can follow your live location on a map. It’s excellent 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 well, though the actual location has sometimes lagged when transitioning in and out of strong LTE signal.
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 activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, location updates and emergency SOS.
A guide displays you how to find the line of sight to the satellite, which then sends and receives messages within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was unexpectedly easy to use and could be a crucial safety feature, though it is essential to remember that satellite service is restricted to the US continent, most of Canada, and most of Europe excluding regions of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees north.
Sustainability
The watch is generally repairable with services offered via the support 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 new purchases.
Cost
The Fenix 8 Pro costs from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The additional Garmin inReach service packages begin 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, call functionality and LiveTrack – along with orbital communication, location update and emergency SOS for when you’re without signal.
The result is an increasingly impressive adventure device for those that desire to be unplugged. If you wish to have someone keep an eye on you from afar while exercising after dark or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin accomplishes this without requiring additional gear.
This is very liberating to be outdoors without a phone, but that capability comes at a significant price, both in terms of the substantial price of the watch and the monthly fee of the inReach plan to enable the features. Fortunately it is not dependent on your phone provider so functions with any make of smartphone and network.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier device for someone who dislikes being weighed down by their phone when running, biking or trekking, but still wants to be trackable and contactable. For other users, it is a significant money when the excellent Fenix 8 already exists.
Pros: LTE and orbital messaging, high-luminance OLED screen, tracks all activities with premier GPS, built-in flashlight, voice and standalone voice control, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, complete offline maps and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre underwater use, physical controls and touchscreen.
Drawbacks: extremely costly, LTE and orbital functions require ongoing payment, restricted Garmin Pay financial support, speech features are sluggish, basic smartwatch features versus competing watches.
