This newest version of the premium Fenix outdoor timepiece introduces a potentially lifesaving capability: no-phone communication and SOS alerts using 4G LTE or satellite connections.
The Fenix 8 Pro enhances the previously outstanding Fenix 8 by incorporating new cellular tech, along with an optional advanced microLED display in a limited edition. It is Garmin's premier device and designed to be the only gadget needed to venture virtually anywhere and track every activity.
This makes it an extremely pricey proposition, priced from £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED model and reaching a colossal £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm edition with microLED screen – almost twice the cost of the regular Fenix 8.
Users get a significant features for your investment, with industry-leading workout, movement and adventure monitoring. The full offline mapping of the world can seamlessly guide you back to the trail if you lose your way absent a phone, and look excellent on the sizable, crisp and high-luminance display.
The Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively offered in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, omitting the smaller 43mm size available in other devices, so it is a big watch for larger wrists. But the 47mm OLED model as reviewed does have an additional day of smartwatch battery life despite the screen on all the time, lasting a reliable eight to nine days between charges.
Phone-Free Messaging, Calling and Real-Time Location
Garmin uses its own inReach LTE (4G) and satellite service plan instead of depending on a watch plan linked to your phone provider, like other smartwatches. However unlike Apple or Google's satellite-enabled products, SOS messaging is not provided for no cost.
Instead, plans start at £7.99 or equivalent a month, which provides unlimited LTE SMS and voice messages, call functionality and LiveTrack position tracking – so your contacts or family can keep an eye on you while engaged in jogging, cycling or comparable activities – along with SOS satellite SOS alerts.
Location updates and texts via orbital are then billed on top, with higher-tier plans offering various quotas of satellite usage, climbing to a £50 a month all-inclusive subscription. The watch comes with a 30-day free trial so you can test out the service.
After you have completed setup, you just head out the door minus your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You can not use it for streaming 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 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 via typed or voice messages, and make voice calls. Your contact does not need a Garmin profile to use the Messenger application, just a phone number is sufficient to sign up for texts.
Messaging on the watch functions adequately but composing texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It has a set of customisable canned responses you can use to expedite communication. Spoken messages and calls work acceptably, though as with the majority of smartwatches, you’re not going to wish to use it for extended conversations as the audio clarity is less than fantastic.
LiveTrack is the handiest feature. You can configure to on its own send a link to selected contacts whenever you begin an activity, so they can track your live location on a map. It’s excellent for monitoring competition progress, but it mostly acts as a utility for someone you trust to know your location in case an incident occurs. It has typically functioned effectively, though the actual location has occasionally been delayed when moving in and out of strong LTE signal.
All of these features are accessible on other Garmin watches if you carry 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 guide shows 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 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 except for parts of Scandinavia above 65 degrees latitude.
Sustainability
The watch is typically repairable with options available through the support portal. The battery is rated to maintain at least 90% of its initial capacity after two years of weekly charging. The watch lacks any reused components. Garmin provides recycling schemes on new purchases.
Price
The Fenix 8 Pro costs from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The additional Garmin inReach subscription plans begin from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Conclusion
This Fenix 8 Pro builds on a excellent adventure watch in the regular 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 signal.
Outcome is an even more remarkable adventure tool for those that want to be phone-free. If you wish to have someone keep an eye on you from afar while running after dark or in the remote areas, the Garmin does so without requiring additional gear.
It is very liberating to be outdoors without a phone, but that functionality carries quite a price, both in terms of the substantial cost of the watch and the monthly fee of the inReach service to provide the features. Fortunately it is not reliant on your phone provider so functions with all brand of smartphone and carrier.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a killer gadget for someone who dislikes being weighed down by their phone when running, biking or trekking, but nevertheless desires to be trackable and reachable. For everyone else, it is a significant expense when the excellent Fenix 8 is already available.
Pros: LTE and satellite communication, super-bright OLED display, monitors everything with best-in-class GPS, integrated flashlight, voice and standalone commands, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, complete offline maps and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre diving, physical controls and touch.
Cons: extremely costly, LTE and orbital features require ongoing subscription, limited Garmin Pay bank compatibility, voice capabilities are slow, limited smartwatch features compared with Apple/Google/Samsung watches.