This most recent version of the top-tier Fenix outdoor timepiece includes a potentially lifesaving feature: no-phone messaging and SOS messaging via 4G LTE or orbital connections.
This Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the previously outstanding Fenix 8 by incorporating new mobile tech, along with an available advanced microLED display in a special edition. This is the brand's premier model and designed to be the only tool required to venture almost any location and monitor every activity.
That makes it 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 display – almost double the cost of the regular Fenix 8.
Users get a lot of functionality for your money, with industry-leading fitness, activity and adventure tracking. The full offline maps of the globe can seamlessly direct you return to the path if you get lost absent a phone, and appear great on the sizable, crisp and high-luminance touchscreen.
This Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively offered in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, not the more compact 43mm size available in other devices, so it is a large watch for bigger wrists. However the 47mm OLED model as tested boasts an additional day of smartwatch battery life despite the screen always active, enduring a solid eight to nine days between charging.
No-Phone Texting, Calls and Live Tracking
Garmin uses its own inReach LTE (4G) and orbital subscription service instead of relying on a watch plan linked to your mobile provider, as with other smartwatches. However in contrast to competing satellite-capable devices, SOS communication is not included for free.
Rather, subscriptions begin from £7.99 or similar a month, which provides limitless LTE text and voice messages, calls and LiveTrack position sharing – so your contacts or family can keep an eye on you while engaged in running, cycling or similar pursuits – along with emergency satellite SOS alerts.
Check-ins and texts via orbital are then billed on top, with more expensive subscriptions offering different allowances of satellite usage, climbing to a £50 a month unlimited subscription. The watch includes a 30-day free trial so you can evaluate the functionality.
Once you have completed setup, you just venture the door without your phone and the watch will link to LTE. You cannot use it for streaming music or similar tasks, but you are able to make and take calls, dispatch texts and overall stay connected with your relatives and friends.
When you message someone, Garmin sends them an SMS from a arbitrary number, which they can reply to directly to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger application, you can then message reciprocally using text or spoken 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 register for texts.
Texting on the watch works fine but composing texts on the small on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It includes a set of personalizable pre-set replies you can send to expedite communication. Spoken recordings and calls perform acceptably, though as with most smartwatches, you’re unlikely going to want to use it for extended discussions as the audio clarity is not fantastic.
LiveTrack is the handiest feature. You can set it up to on its own transmit a link to chosen contacts whenever you start an activity, so they can track your real time position on a map. It’s great for monitoring competition performance, but it mostly serves as a tool for someone you rely on to know your whereabouts in case an incident occurs. It has typically worked well, although the real location has sometimes been delayed when transitioning in and out of strong LTE signal.
All of these capabilities are available on other Garmin devices if you carry your phone with you, but in areas where LTE does not reach, the satellite kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, location check-ins and emergency SOS.
A on-screen assistance shows you how to find the line of sight to the satellite, which then sends and receives messages within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was unexpectedly straightforward to use and could be a vital safety feature, however it is essential to note that satellite coverage is limited to the US mainland, the majority of Canada, and most of Europe excluding regions of Scandinavia above 65 degrees north.
Sustainability
The watch is generally repairable with options offered through the customer service site. The battery is certified to maintain at least 90% of its original power after two years of weekly charging. The watch lacks any reused components. Garmin provides recycling programs on new purchases.
Price
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
This Fenix 8 Pro builds on a fantastic adventure watch in the standard Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for texting, calls and LiveTrack – plus orbital communication, check-in and emergency SOS for when you’re without signal.
Outcome is an increasingly remarkable adventure device for those that desire to be unplugged. If you want to have someone monitor you remotely while exercising out at night or in the remote areas, the Garmin does so without requiring anything else.
This is very liberating to be outside without a phone, but that functionality comes at quite a price, both in terms of the colossal price of the watch and the monthly fee of the inReach service to provide the service. At least it isn’t dependent on your phone carrier so functions with any brand of smartphone and network.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier gadget for someone who dislikes being weighed down by their phone when running, biking or hiking, but nevertheless desires to be locatable and reachable. For everyone else, it is a significant expense when the excellent Fenix 8 is already available.
Advantages: LTE and orbital communication, super-bright OLED display, tracks 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 underwater use, physical controls and touch.
Drawbacks: extremely expensive, LTE and satellite features require ongoing subscription, limited Garmin Pay bank support, voice features are slow, limited wearable functionality compared with competing watches.
