This most recent iteration of Garmin's premium Fenix adventure timepiece brings a potentially lifesaving feature: phone-free messaging and emergency messaging using 4G LTE or orbital connections.
The Fenix 8 Pro builds upon the already outstanding Fenix 8 by adding new cellular technology, plus an optional state-of-the-art microLED display in a special edition. This is the brand's top device and designed to be the single gadget required to venture virtually anywhere and monitor every activity.
This makes it an very pricey option, starting at £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 – almost double the cost of the standard Fenix 8.
You do get a significant features for your investment, with industry-leading fitness, movement and adventure monitoring. The complete offline mapping of the globe can seamlessly direct you back to the path if you lose your way absent a phone, and look excellent on the large, sharp and high-luminance display.
This Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively offered in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, omitting the more compact 43mm size found in other devices, so it is a big watch for larger wrists. However the 47mm OLED model as reviewed does have an additional day of watch battery life even with the screen on all the time, enduring a reliable eight to nine days between charging.
Phone-Free Messaging, Calls and Real-Time Location
The company operates its own inReach LTE (4G) and orbital service service rather than relying on a watch plan linked to your mobile provider, as with other smartwatches. However unlike competing satellite-enabled products, SOS communication is not provided for free.
Instead, subscriptions begin from £7.99 or equivalent a month, which provides unlimited LTE SMS and audio messages, call functionality and LiveTrack location tracking – so your friends or family can monitor you while engaged in running, cycling or similar activities – plus emergency orbital SOS alerts.
Location updates and messages over orbital are then billed on top, with higher-tier plans including different allowances of orbital use, climbing to a £50 a month all-inclusive plan. The watch comes with a 30-day free trial so you can evaluate the functionality.
After you have got it set up, you simply head out outside minus your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You can not 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 companions.
When you message someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a random phone number, which they can reply to directly to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger application, you can then message reciprocally via text or voice communications, and initiate voice calls. Your contact does not need a Garmin account to use the Messenger application, only a phone number is enough to sign up for texts.
Texting on the watch functions adequately but composing texts on the small on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It includes a set of personalizable canned responses you can use to expedite communication. Voice messages and calls work acceptably, although as with the majority of smartwatches, you’re unlikely going to wish to use it for extended discussions as the audio clarity is less than ideal.
LiveTrack is the most useful function. You can configure to automatically send a URL to selected contacts whenever you start an exercise, so they can follow your live location on a map. It’s great for following race performance, but it primarily serves as a tool for someone you trust to know your whereabouts in case something happens. It has typically worked well, although the actual position has occasionally lagged when transitioning in and out of strong LTE signal.
All of these features are accessible on other Garmin watches if you bring your phone with you, but in locations where LTE lacks coverage, the satellite kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, position check-ins and emergency SOS.
A on-screen assistance displays 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 surprisingly straightforward to use and could be a vital safety feature, though it is important to remember that orbital service is limited to the US continent, most of Canada, and the majority of Europe excluding parts of Scandinavia above 65 degrees latitude.
Sustainability
The watch is generally repairable with options offered via the support portal. The battery is certified to maintain at least 90% of its initial capacity after two years of regular charging. The watch lacks any recycled components. Garmin provides recycling schemes on recent purchases.
Price
This 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).
Verdict
This Fenix 8 Pro builds on a excellent adventure watch in the standard Fenix 8 and adds LTE for texting, calls and LiveTrack – along with orbital communication, location update and SOS SOS for when you’re without signal.
The result is an increasingly remarkable outdoor device for those that desire to be unplugged. 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 additional gear.
It is very freeing to be outside without a phone, but that functionality carries quite a cost, both in terms of the colossal cost of the watch and the monthly fee of the inReach service to provide the service. At least it isn’t dependent on your phone provider so functions with all brand of smartphone and carrier.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier gadget for someone who hates being weighed down by their phone when running, biking or hiking, but nevertheless wants to be locatable and contactable. For other users, it is a lot of expense when the excellent Fenix 8 is already available.
Pros: LTE and satellite communication, high-luminance OLED screen, tracks all activities with premier GPS, built-in flashlight, phone and offline commands, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, full offline mapping and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre diving, physical controls and touchscreen.
Drawbacks: extremely costly, LTE and orbital features require ongoing subscription, limited Garmin Pay bank support, speech features are slow, basic smartwatch functionality versus Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
