This most recent iteration of the flagship Fenix adventure timepiece brings a life-saving capability: no-phone messaging and emergency alerts using 4G LTE or orbital links.
This Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the previously impressive Fenix 8 by incorporating cutting-edge cellular technology, along with an optional state-of-the-art microLED display in a special edition. It is Garmin's top model and designed to be the single tool required to venture almost anywhere and monitor every activity.
That positions it as an extremely pricey option, priced from £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED version and climbing to a substantial £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm variant with microLED screen – almost double the cost of the regular Fenix 8.
Users receive a lot of features for your investment, with best-in-class fitness, movement and adventure tracking. Its complete offline mapping of the globe can automatically guide you back to the trail if you lose your way absent a phone, and appear great on the large, crisp and high-luminance touchscreen.
The Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively available in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, omitting the more compact 43mm size available in other devices, so it is a big watch for larger wrists. However the 47mm OLED model as tested boasts an extra day of watch battery life despite the display on all the time, enduring a solid eight to nine days between charges.
Phone-Free Messaging, Calling and Live Tracking
The company uses its own inReach LTE (4G) and orbital subscription service instead of depending on a watch plan tied to your phone carrier, like other wearables. However in contrast to competing satellite-capable products, SOS communication is not provided for no cost.
Instead, plans begin from £7.99 or similar a month, which provides limitless LTE text and voice messaging, calls and LiveTrack location sharing – so your contacts or family can keep an eye on you while engaged in running, cycling or comparable activities – along with emergency satellite SOS alerts.
Location updates and messages over orbital are then charged additionally, with higher-tier plans offering various quotas of orbital usage, climbing to a £50 a month unlimited subscription. The watch includes a 30-day trial period so you can evaluate the functionality.
After you have got it set up, you just head out the door without your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You cannot use it for streaming music or similar activities, but you can place and receive calls, dispatch texts and overall keep in touch with your relatives and friends.
When you text someone, Garmin sends 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 text or spoken messages, and make voice calls. Your recipient is not required to have a Garmin account to use the Messenger application, only a phone number is sufficient to register for texts.
Texting on the watch works fine but composing texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is slow. It has a set of customisable canned responses you can send to expedite communication. Spoken recordings and calls perform OK, although as with most smartwatches, you’re not going to want to use it for lengthy discussions as the quality is not ideal.
LiveTrack is the handiest function. You can configure to automatically send a link to selected contacts every time you begin an exercise, so they can follow your real time location on a map. It’s great for following race performance, but it mostly acts as a utility for someone you rely on to know your whereabouts in case an incident occurs. It has typically functioned effectively, though the actual position has occasionally lagged when moving in and out of strong LTE signal.
These features are available on other Garmin watches if you bring your phone with you, but in areas where LTE does not reach, the orbital kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, position updates and emergency SOS.
A on-screen assistance displays you how to find the line of sight to the satellite, which then sends and receives communications within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was unexpectedly straightforward to use and could be a vital safety feature, though it is essential to remember that orbital service is restricted to the US mainland, the majority of Canada, and most of Europe excluding parts of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees latitude.
Sustainability
The watch is generally repairable with services available through the customer service portal. The battery is certified to retain at least 90% of its original power after two years of weekly charging. The watch does not contain any reused components. Garmin provides disposal schemes on new purchases.
Price
The Fenix 8 Pro is priced from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The additional Garmin inReach subscription plans cost from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Verdict
This Fenix 8 Pro takes a excellent adventure watch in the regular Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for texting, call functionality and LiveTrack – plus satellite communication, location update and emergency SOS for when you’re without coverage.
The result is an increasingly remarkable adventure tool for those that want to be unplugged. If you want to have someone monitor you from afar while exercising out at night or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin accomplishes this without requiring anything else.
It is very liberating to be outdoors without a phone, but that capability carries quite a cost, both in terms of the substantial cost of the watch and the monthly fee of the inReach plan to provide the service. At least it is not reliant on your phone carrier so functions with any brand of smartphone and network.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a killer device for someone who hates being weighed down by their phone when jogging, cycling or hiking, but still wants to be locatable and contactable. For other users, it is a lot of money when the superb Fenix 8 already exists.
Advantages: LTE and orbital messaging, high-luminance OLED screen, tracks all activities with premier GPS, built-in flashlight, voice and offline commands, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, full offline mapping and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre underwater use, physical controls and touchscreen.
Drawbacks: very costly, LTE and satellite functions need ongoing subscription, limited Garmin Pay bank compatibility, voice features are sluggish, limited smartwatch functionality versus competing watches.
