This latest iteration of the premium Fenix outdoor timepiece includes a life-saving capability: no-phone communication and SOS alerts using 4G LTE or orbital links.
This Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the previously outstanding Fenix 8 by adding new mobile technology, plus an available advanced microLED screen in a limited edition. This is Garmin's top device and designed to be the single tool required to venture almost any location and track every activity.
This positions it as an extremely pricey option, 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 display – nearly twice the price of the standard Fenix 8.
You do receive a significant functionality for your investment, with industry-leading fitness, activity and adventure monitoring. Its full offline mapping of the world can seamlessly direct you back to the trail if you get lost absent a phone, and appear great on the large, sharp and high-luminance touchscreen.
The Fenix 8 Pro is only available in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, not the smaller 43mm size found in other models, so it is a big watch for larger wrists. However the 47mm OLED version as tested does have an extra day of watch battery life even with the display on all the time, enduring a solid eight to nine days between charges.
Phone-Free Texting, Calls and Real-Time Location
Garmin operates its own inReach LTE (4G) and satellite subscription plan instead of relying on a watch plan tied to your phone carrier, like other smartwatches. But in contrast to competing satellite-enabled products, SOS messaging is not provided for no cost.
Rather, plans begin from £7.99 or similar a month, which provides limitless LTE SMS and audio messages, call functionality and LiveTrack location sharing – so your friends or loved ones can monitor you while engaged in jogging, cycling or similar activities – plus emergency satellite SOS alerts.
Check-ins and messages via satellite are then billed additionally, with higher-tier subscriptions offering different allowances of satellite use, increasing to a £50 a month unlimited subscription. The watch includes a 30-day free trial so you can test out the functionality.
After you have completed setup, you just head out the door without your phone and the watch will link 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 relatives and friends.
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 install the Garmin Messenger application, you can then communicate back and forth using text or voice communications, and make voice calls. Your recipient does not need a Garmin profile to use the Messenger app, just a phone number is enough to sign up for texts.
Texting on the watch works fine but typing out texts on the small on-screen keyboard is slow. It has a collection of customisable canned responses you can send to expedite communication. Voice messages and calls work OK, although as with most wearables, you’re not going to wish to use it for extended discussions as the audio clarity is less than fantastic.
LiveTrack is the handiest function. You can configure to on its own send a link to selected contacts every time you start an exercise, so they can track your live location on a map. It’s great for monitoring competition performance, but it primarily serves as a utility for someone you trust to know your location in case an incident occurs. It has typically worked effectively, though the real position has occasionally lagged when moving in and out of good LTE signal.
These features are accessible on other Garmin devices if you carry your phone with you, but in areas where LTE does not reach, the orbital kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, position updates and emergency SOS.
A guide shows you how to locate the clear view 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, however it is important to note that orbital service is restricted to the US mainland, most of Canada, and most of Europe excluding regions of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees latitude.
Sustainability
The watch is generally repairable with options available through the support portal. The battery is rated to maintain at least 90% of its original power after two years of weekly charging. The watch does not contain any recycled materials. Garmin provides disposal programs on recent purchases.
Cost
The Fenix 8 Pro is priced from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The additional Garmin inReach service packages begin from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Conclusion
This Fenix 8 Pro builds on a excellent adventure watch in the standard Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for texting, calls and LiveTrack – along with orbital messaging, location update and SOS SOS for when you’re out of coverage.
The result is an increasingly impressive outdoor tool for those that want to be unplugged. If you want to have someone monitor you from afar while running out at night or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin does so without needing anything else.
It is very freeing to be outdoors without a phone, but that capability comes at quite a price, both in terms of the colossal cost of the watch and the recurring subscription of the inReach service to provide the service. At least it isn’t dependent on your phone provider so works with all make of smartphone and carrier.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier device for someone who dislikes being weighed down by their phone when jogging, biking or trekking, but still desires to be trackable and contactable. For other users, it is a lot of expense when the superb Fenix 8 already exists.
Advantages: LTE and orbital messaging, high-luminance OLED screen, monitors everything with best-in-class GPS, built-in torch, phone and standalone commands, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, complete offline maps and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre underwater use, buttons and touch.
Drawbacks: extremely expensive, LTE and satellite functions require monthly payment, limited Garmin Pay financial support, speech features are sluggish, basic smartwatch functionality compared with Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
