The most recent version of the top-tier Fenix outdoor timepiece brings a potentially lifesaving feature: phone-free messaging and emergency messaging via 4G LTE or satellite connections.
The Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the already outstanding Fenix 8 by incorporating new cellular tech, along with an optional advanced microLED display in a limited edition. This is Garmin's premier model and engineered to be the single gadget needed to explore virtually any location and track all your movements.
That positions it as an very pricey 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 screen – almost double the price of the regular Fenix 8.
Users get a lot of features for your money, with industry-leading workout, movement and adventure monitoring. The full offline maps of the world can seamlessly direct you back to the trail if you lose your way absent a phone, and appear great on the sizable, sharp and super-bright touchscreen.
The Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively 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 smartwatch battery life even with the display always active, enduring a solid eight to nine days between charging.
Phone-Free Messaging, Calling and Live Tracking
Garmin operates its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and orbital subscription plan instead of relying on a watch plan linked to your mobile provider, like other wearables. However unlike Apple or Google's satellite-enabled devices, SOS communication is not included for no cost.
Rather, subscriptions start at £7.99 or equivalent a month, which includes unlimited LTE SMS and voice messages, calls and LiveTrack position sharing – so your contacts or family can monitor you while engaged in running, cycling or comparable pursuits – plus emergency satellite SOS alerts.
Location updates and texts via satellite are then billed on top, with higher-tier plans including various quotas of satellite use, increasing to a £50 a month all-inclusive plan. The watch includes a 30-day trial period so you can test out the service.
After you have got it set up, you just head out outside without your phone and the watch will link to LTE. You cannot use it for streaming music or comparable activities, but you can make and take calls, dispatch texts and overall keep in touch with your relatives and companions.
Whenever you message someone, Garmin sends them an SMS from a random phone number, which they can respond to directly to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger application, you can then communicate reciprocally via typed or voice communications, and initiate voice calls. Your recipient does not need a Garmin account to use the Messenger application, just a mobile number is enough to sign up for texts.
Texting on the watch functions adequately but typing out texts on the small on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It includes a set of personalizable canned responses you can use to speed things up. Spoken messages and calls work acceptably, although as with most smartwatches, you’re not going to wish to use it for lengthy conversations as the audio clarity is less than ideal.
LiveTrack is the handiest function. You can configure to automatically send a link to selected contacts every time you start an activity, so they can follow your live location on a map. It’s excellent for following competition performance, but it primarily serves as a tool for someone you trust to be aware of your whereabouts in case something happens. It has typically worked effectively, though the real position has sometimes lagged when transitioning in and out of good LTE coverage.
All of these capabilities are accessible on other Garmin devices if you bring your phone with you, but in locations where LTE lacks coverage, the orbital kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, position updates and SOS SOS.
A guide shows you how to find the clear view to the orbital system, which then sends and receives communications within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was unexpectedly straightforward to use and could be a crucial safety feature, though it is important to note that orbital service is restricted to the US mainland, the majority of Canada, and most of Europe except for regions of Scandinavia above 65 degrees north.
Sustainability
The watch is generally serviceable with services offered via the support site. The battery is rated to retain at least 90% of its original power after two years of weekly charging. The watch does not contain any recycled materials. Garmin provides recycling schemes on recent purchases.
Cost
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 begin from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Conclusion
The Fenix 8 Pro builds on a fantastic adventure watch in the regular Fenix 8 and adds LTE for texting, calls and LiveTrack – along with satellite messaging, check-in and SOS SOS for when you’re without signal.
Outcome is an increasingly remarkable adventure tool 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 remote areas, the Garmin does so without needing anything else.
It is very liberating to be outside without a phone, but that capability carries quite a cost, both in terms of the colossal cost of the watch and the recurring subscription of the inReach plan to provide the features. At least it is not dependent on your phone provider so works with all make of smartphone and carrier.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier device for someone who dislikes being burdened by their phone when running, cycling or trekking, but still desires to be locatable and reachable. For other users, it is a lot of money when the superb Fenix 8 is already available.
Pros: LTE and orbital communication, super-bright OLED display, monitors all activities with premier GPS, integrated flashlight, voice and offline voice control, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, full offline maps and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre diving, buttons and touchscreen.
Cons: very expensive, LTE and satellite functions need monthly subscription, restricted Garmin Pay bank compatibility, voice capabilities are slow, basic wearable features compared with competing watches.
