This latest version of the premium Fenix outdoor watch brings a life-saving capability: no-phone messaging and SOS alerts using 4G LTE or orbital links.
The Fenix 8 Pro enhances the previously impressive Fenix 8 by adding new mobile technology, along with an available advanced microLED screen in a limited edition. It is Garmin's premier model and designed to be the only gadget required to venture virtually anywhere and track all your movements.
This positions it as an extremely expensive proposition, priced from £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED version and reaching 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 receive a significant functionality for your investment, with industry-leading workout, activity and outdoor tracking. The complete offline maps of the world can seamlessly guide you back to the path if you lose your way absent a phone, and look excellent on the large, sharp 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 large watch for larger wrists. However the 47mm OLED version as reviewed does have an extra day of smartwatch battery life despite the display always active, enduring a reliable eight to nine days between charges.
No-Phone Messaging, Calls and Live Tracking
The company operates its own inReach LTE (4G) and orbital service service rather than relying on a watch plan linked to your mobile carrier, like other wearables. However unlike Apple or Google's satellite-enabled devices, SOS communication is not included for free.
Instead, plans begin from £7.99 or equivalent a month, which includes limitless LTE SMS and voice messaging, calls and LiveTrack location sharing – so your contacts or family can monitor you while engaged in jogging, biking or comparable pursuits – along with SOS orbital SOS messaging.
Location updates and messages over satellite are then billed additionally, with more expensive plans offering different quotas of satellite use, climbing to a £50 a month all-inclusive plan. The watch comes with a 30-day trial period so you can test out the service.
Once you have completed setup, you just venture the door minus your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You cannot use it for playing music or comparable tasks, 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 dispatches them an SMS from a arbitrary number, which they can respond to directly to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger app, you can then communicate reciprocally using typed or spoken communications, and make voice calls. Your recipient is not required to have a Garmin account to use the Messenger app, just a mobile number is enough to sign up for texts.
Texting on the watch works adequately but composing texts on the small on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It has a set of customisable canned replies you can send to speed things up. Spoken recordings and calls perform OK, though as with the majority of smartwatches, you’re not going to want to use it for extended conversations as the audio clarity is not ideal.
LiveTrack is the most useful feature. You can set it up to automatically send a URL to chosen contacts whenever you start an exercise, so they can follow your real time position on a map. It’s great for monitoring race progress, but it primarily serves as a tool for someone you trust to be aware of your location in case an incident occurs. It has generally functioned well, though the real location 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 carry your phone with you, but in areas where LTE does not reach, the satellite activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, location updates and emergency SOS.
A on-screen assistance shows you how to locate the clear view 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 safety feature, however it is important to note that satellite service is restricted to the US continent, the majority of Canada, and the majority of Europe excluding parts of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees latitude.
Sustainability
The watch is generally repairable with services offered via the support portal. The battery is certified to maintain at least 90% of its initial power after two years of weekly charging. The watch does not contain any recycled materials. Garmin offers disposal schemes on recent purchases.
Price
The Fenix 8 Pro is priced from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The optional Garmin inReach service plans cost from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Verdict
This Fenix 8 Pro builds on a excellent outdoor watch in the standard Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for messaging, calls and LiveTrack – plus orbital messaging, location update and SOS SOS for when you’re without coverage.
The result is an increasingly impressive adventure tool for those that desire to be phone-free. If you wish to have someone monitor you remotely while exercising out at night or in the remote areas, the Garmin does so without needing anything else.
This is very liberating to be outside without a phone, but that capability comes at quite a cost, both in terms of the colossal price of the watch and the recurring subscription of the inReach service to provide the features. At least it isn’t reliant on your phone carrier so works with all brand of smartphone and carrier.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a killer gadget for someone who hates being burdened by their phone when running, biking or hiking, but nevertheless wants to be locatable and contactable. For other users, it is a lot of money when the superb Fenix 8 is already available.
Pros: LTE and satellite messaging, super-bright OLED display, tracks all activities with best-in-class GPS, integrated torch, voice and offline voice control, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, full offline maps and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre diving, buttons and touch.
Cons: very costly, LTE and orbital functions need ongoing payment, limited Garmin Pay financial compatibility, speech capabilities are slow, basic smartwatch features compared with Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
