This latest model of the top-tier Fenix adventure timepiece introduces a potentially lifesaving capability: no-phone messaging and SOS alerts using 4G LTE or satellite links.
This Fenix 8 Pro enhances the previously impressive Fenix 8 by incorporating cutting-edge mobile tech, plus an optional advanced microLED screen in a limited edition. This is the brand's premier model and engineered to be the single gadget needed to venture virtually any location and track all your movements.
This positions it as an extremely pricey option, starting at £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 screen – almost double the cost of the standard Fenix 8.
You do receive a significant functionality for your money, with industry-leading fitness, activity and outdoor monitoring. The full offline mapping of the globe can seamlessly guide you return to the path if you lose your way absent a phone, and look excellent on the large, crisp and high-luminance touchscreen.
The Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively offered in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, not the more compact 43mm version found in other models, so it is a large watch for bigger wrists. But the 47mm OLED model as reviewed boasts an extra day of watch battery life despite the display always active, enduring a reliable eight to nine days between charging.
Phone-Free Texting, Calls and Real-Time Location
The company operates its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and satellite subscription plan instead of relying on a watch plan tied to your phone provider, as with other wearables. But unlike Apple or Google's satellite-enabled devices, SOS communication is not provided for no cost.
Instead, subscriptions start at £7.99 or equivalent a month, which includes limitless LTE text and audio messages, calls and LiveTrack location tracking – so your friends or family can keep an eye on you while engaged in jogging, cycling or comparable pursuits – plus SOS orbital SOS messaging.
Check-ins and messages via orbital are then billed additionally, with higher-tier plans offering different quotas of orbital use, climbing to a £50 a month unlimited subscription. The watch includes a 30-day free trial so you can evaluate the functionality.
After you have got it set up, you simply head out outside without your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You can not use it for streaming music or similar activities, but you are able to place and receive calls, send texts and generally stay connected with your family and companions.
When you message someone, Garmin sends them an SMS from a random number, which they can reply to back to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger app, you can then communicate reciprocally via typed or spoken messages, and initiate voice calls. Your recipient is not required to have a Garmin account to use the Messenger application, just a phone number is sufficient to sign up for texts.
Messaging on the watch works fine but typing out texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It includes a collection of customisable pre-set replies you can use to speed things up. Voice recordings and calls perform OK, although as with the majority of smartwatches, you’re not going to want to use it for lengthy conversations as the audio clarity is less than ideal.
LiveTrack is the most useful feature. You can configure to automatically send a URL to chosen contacts whenever you begin an exercise, so they can track your live location on a map. It’s great for monitoring race performance, but it primarily acts as a utility for someone you trust to know your whereabouts in case an incident occurs. It has typically functioned well, although the actual location has sometimes been delayed when moving in and out of strong LTE signal.
These features are accessible on other Garmin watches if you carry your phone with you, but in locations where LTE lacks coverage, the satellite kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, position updates and emergency SOS.
A on-screen assistance displays you how to locate the clear view to the satellite, which then transmits and gets communications within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was unexpectedly straightforward to use and could be a vital safety feature, though it is important to note that orbital coverage is restricted to the US mainland, the majority of Canada, and most of Europe except for regions of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees latitude.
Sustainability
The watch is typically repairable with options offered through the support site. The battery is rated to maintain at least 90% of its initial power after two years of regular charging. The watch does not contain any recycled materials. Garmin offers recycling 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 packages cost from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Verdict
This Fenix 8 Pro builds on a excellent adventure watch in the standard Fenix 8 and adds LTE for messaging, call functionality and LiveTrack – along with orbital communication, check-in and SOS SOS for when you’re out of signal.
Outcome is an increasingly impressive adventure tool for those that desire to be phone-free. If you wish to have someone keep an eye on you from afar while running after dark or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin accomplishes this without needing anything else.
It is quite liberating to be outside without a phone, but that capability comes at quite a price, both in terms of the colossal cost of the watch and the recurring fee of the inReach service to enable the service. Fortunately it is not reliant on your phone provider so functions with all make of smartphone and network.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a killer device for someone who dislikes being weighed down by their phone when running, biking or hiking, but nevertheless desires to be trackable and reachable. For everyone else, it is a significant money when the excellent Fenix 8 is already available.
Advantages: LTE and satellite messaging, high-luminance OLED screen, tracks everything with best-in-class GPS, built-in torch, voice and standalone voice control, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, complete offline maps and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre diving, buttons and touchscreen.
Drawbacks: extremely costly, LTE and orbital functions require ongoing subscription, limited Garmin Pay bank support, voice features are sluggish, limited smartwatch features versus Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
