This newest version of the premium Fenix outdoor timepiece introduces a potentially lifesaving feature: phone-free communication and SOS alerts via 4G LTE or satellite links.
The Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the already impressive Fenix 8 by adding new mobile tech, along with an available state-of-the-art microLED screen in a special edition. This is Garmin's premier device and designed to be the only gadget needed to explore virtually any location and track every activity.
This makes it an very expensive option, 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 screen – nearly double the cost of the regular Fenix 8.
You do receive a significant functionality for your investment, with best-in-class fitness, activity and adventure monitoring. The complete offline mapping of the globe can seamlessly direct you back to the path if you get lost without a phone, and look excellent on the sizable, crisp and super-bright display.
The Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively offered in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, omitting the smaller 43mm size found in other devices, so it is a large watch for larger wrists. However the 47mm OLED model as reviewed does have an extra day of smartwatch battery life even with the screen on all the time, enduring a reliable eight to nine days between charging.
Phone-Free Texting, Calls and Real-Time Location
The company uses its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and orbital service plan rather than relying on a watch plan tied to your phone carrier, like other smartwatches. But unlike competing satellite-capable devices, SOS communication is not provided for free.
Instead, plans start at £7.99 or equivalent a month, which provides limitless LTE SMS and voice messaging, call functionality and LiveTrack position sharing – so your friends or loved ones can monitor you while engaged in running, cycling or similar pursuits – plus emergency satellite SOS alerts.
Location updates and messages over satellite are then billed additionally, with higher-tier subscriptions offering various allowances of orbital use, increasing to a £50 a month unlimited subscription. The watch comes with a 30-day free trial so you can evaluate the service.
After 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 activities, but you can place and receive calls, send texts and overall stay connected with your family and companions.
When you text someone, Garmin sends them an SMS from a arbitrary phone number, which they can respond to back to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger app, you can then message back and forth using text or voice communications, and initiate voice calls. Your contact is not required to have a Garmin profile to use the Messenger application, just a mobile number is enough 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 personalizable canned replies you can use to speed things up. Spoken recordings and calls work acceptably, although as with the majority of smartwatches, you’re unlikely going to want to use it for lengthy conversations as the quality is not fantastic.
LiveTrack is the handiest feature. You can set it up to on its own transmit a link to selected contacts every time you begin an exercise, so they can follow your real time location on a map. It’s excellent for following race performance, but it mostly serves as a tool for someone you trust to know your location in case an incident occurs. It has generally worked effectively, although the actual position has sometimes lagged when moving in and out of good LTE coverage.
These capabilities are accessible on other Garmin devices if you bring your phone with you, but in areas where LTE lacks coverage, the orbital kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, location check-ins and SOS SOS.
A on-screen assistance shows you how to find the clear view to the orbital system, which then transmits and gets messages within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was unexpectedly easy to use and could be a crucial safety feature, however it is important to note that satellite coverage is restricted to the US mainland, most of Canada, and the majority of Europe excluding parts of Scandinavia above 65 degrees latitude.
Sustainability
The watch is typically serviceable with services offered through the support portal. The battery is certified to retain at least 90% of its initial power after two years of weekly charging. The watch lacks any reused components. Garmin provides recycling schemes 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 packages cost from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Conclusion
This Fenix 8 Pro takes a excellent outdoor watch in the standard Fenix 8 and adds LTE for messaging, calls and LiveTrack – plus satellite messaging, location update and SOS SOS for when you’re without signal.
Outcome is an even more remarkable adventure device for those that want to be phone-free. If you want to have someone monitor you remotely while exercising after dark or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin does so without needing anything else.
This is quite freeing to be outdoors without a phone, but that capability carries a significant price, both in terms of the colossal cost of the watch and the recurring fee of the inReach plan to provide the service. Fortunately it isn’t dependent on your phone carrier so works with all make of smartphone and carrier.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a killer device for someone who dislikes being burdened by their phone when jogging, biking or hiking, but nevertheless desires to be trackable and contactable. For everyone else, it is a lot of expense when the excellent Fenix 8 is already available.
Pros: LTE and satellite messaging, high-luminance OLED display, monitors all activities with best-in-class GPS, integrated torch, phone and offline commands, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, full offline maps and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre diving, buttons and touchscreen.
Drawbacks: extremely costly, LTE and satellite features need monthly subscription, restricted Garmin Pay bank support, speech features are sluggish, limited smartwatch features versus competing watches.
