The newest model of the top-tier Fenix outdoor timepiece brings a life-saving capability: no-phone messaging and SOS alerts via 4G LTE or orbital connections.
This Fenix 8 Pro builds upon the previously outstanding Fenix 8 by adding cutting-edge mobile technology, along with an optional state-of-the-art microLED display in a limited edition. This is Garmin's premier model and engineered to be the only gadget required to explore almost anywhere and monitor every activity.
This positions it as an very 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 variant with microLED display – nearly double the cost of the regular Fenix 8.
You do get a significant functionality for your investment, with best-in-class workout, activity and adventure tracking. The complete offline maps of the world can automatically direct you back to the trail if you get lost absent a phone, and look excellent on the large, sharp and super-bright display.
The Fenix 8 Pro is only offered in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, not the smaller 43mm version found in other devices, so it is a big watch for bigger wrists. But the 47mm OLED model as reviewed boasts an extra day of watch battery life even with the screen on all the time, enduring a reliable eight to nine days between charging.
Phone-Free Texting, Calling and Live Tracking
The company uses its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and satellite service service rather than relying on a watch plan tied to your mobile provider, as with other wearables. But unlike Apple or Google's satellite-enabled devices, SOS communication is not included for free.
Instead, subscriptions start at £7.99 or similar a month, which includes unlimited LTE text and audio messages, call functionality and LiveTrack position sharing – so your contacts or loved ones can monitor you while engaged in running, cycling or comparable activities – along with emergency orbital SOS messaging.
Check-ins and messages over orbital are then billed on top, with higher-tier subscriptions including different quotas of orbital use, increasing to a £50 a month all-inclusive subscription. The watch comes with a 30-day free trial so you can evaluate the functionality.
Once you have got it set up, you just head out outside without your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You cannot use it for streaming music or comparable activities, but you can place and receive calls, dispatch texts and overall keep in touch with your family and friends.
Whenever you message someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a arbitrary number, which they can respond to directly to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger application, 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, only a mobile number is enough to register for texts.
Messaging on the watch functions adequately but composing texts on the small on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It has a collection of customisable canned replies you can use to expedite communication. Spoken recordings and calls perform OK, although as with most wearables, you’re unlikely going to want to use it for lengthy conversations as the quality is not ideal.
LiveTrack is the handiest function. You can set it up to automatically transmit a URL to selected contacts every time you begin an activity, so they can follow your live position on a map. It’s excellent for monitoring competition progress, but it primarily serves as a tool for someone you rely on to know your location in case something happens. It has generally worked well, although the real position has occasionally lagged when transitioning in and out of good LTE coverage.
These capabilities are accessible on other Garmin watches if you bring your phone with you, but in locations where LTE does not reach, the orbital activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, location check-ins and emergency SOS.
A guide shows you how to locate the line of sight to the satellite, which then sends and receives communications within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was unexpectedly easy to use and could be a vital lifeline, though it is essential to note that satellite service is restricted to the US continent, most of Canada, and most of Europe excluding parts of Scandinavia above 65 degrees north.
Sustainability
The watch is generally serviceable with options offered via the customer service site. The battery is rated to retain at least 90% of its original capacity after two years of regular charging. The watch does not contain any recycled components. Garmin provides disposal programs on new purchases.
Price
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 begin from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Conclusion
The Fenix 8 Pro takes a fantastic outdoor watch in the regular Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for texting, calls and LiveTrack – plus satellite communication, check-in and SOS SOS for when you’re without coverage.
The result is an increasingly remarkable outdoor tool for those that desire to be phone-free. If you want to have someone monitor you remotely while exercising after dark or in the remote areas, the Garmin does so without needing anything else.
It is quite liberating to be outside without a phone, but that functionality carries a significant cost, both in terms of the substantial price of the watch and the recurring subscription of the inReach service to enable the service. Fortunately it is not reliant on your phone provider so works with any brand of smartphone and network.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a killer gadget for someone who dislikes being burdened by their phone when jogging, biking or hiking, but still wants to be locatable and reachable. For everyone else, it is a significant expense when the superb Fenix 8 is already available.
Pros: LTE and orbital communication, high-luminance OLED screen, monitors everything with best-in-class GPS, integrated flashlight, phone and standalone voice control, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, complete offline mapping and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre underwater use, buttons and touchscreen.
Cons: extremely expensive, LTE and orbital functions require monthly payment, limited Garmin Pay financial compatibility, speech features are slow, basic smartwatch features versus competing watches.
