This most recent version of the top-tier Fenix adventure timepiece brings a potentially lifesaving feature: phone-free messaging and emergency alerts via 4G LTE or satellite connections.
This Fenix 8 Pro enhances the already outstanding Fenix 8 by adding new cellular tech, along with an available advanced microLED screen in a special edition. This is the brand's top device and designed to be the only gadget required to explore virtually any location and track every activity.
That positions it as an extremely expensive proposition, starting at £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED version and climbing to a colossal £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm edition with microLED display – nearly double the cost of the regular Fenix 8.
You do get a significant functionality for your investment, with best-in-class workout, movement and outdoor monitoring. The complete offline mapping of the globe can seamlessly guide you back to the path if you lose your way without a phone, and appear great on the sizable, crisp and high-luminance touchscreen.
This Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively available in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, not the smaller 43mm version found in other devices, so it is a large watch for larger wrists. However the 47mm OLED model as tested boasts an additional day of smartwatch battery life despite the display on all the time, lasting a solid eight to nine days between charging.
Phone-Free Messaging, Calling and Real-Time Location
The company uses its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and orbital subscription service rather than depending on a watch plan tied to your mobile carrier, like other smartwatches. However in contrast to competing satellite-enabled products, SOS communication is not provided for free.
Instead, subscriptions begin from £7.99 or similar a month, which includes limitless LTE SMS and audio messaging, calls and LiveTrack location sharing – so your friends or family can keep an eye on you while engaged in jogging, cycling or similar activities – along with emergency satellite SOS messaging.
Location updates and messages via satellite are then billed on top, with higher-tier subscriptions offering various allowances of satellite use, climbing to a £50 a month unlimited plan. The watch comes with a 30-day trial period so you can evaluate the service.
After you have completed setup, you simply head out outside minus your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You can not use it for playing music or comparable tasks, but you are able to make and take calls, send texts and overall keep in touch with your family and friends.
When you text someone, Garmin sends them an SMS from a arbitrary number, which they can respond to back to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger app, you can then communicate back and forth via text or spoken messages, and initiate voice calls. Your contact is not required to have a Garmin profile to use the Messenger app, just a mobile number is sufficient to sign up for texts.
Messaging on the watch functions adequately but composing texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It includes a collection of personalizable canned responses you can use to expedite communication. Voice recordings and calls work OK, though as with the majority of wearables, you’re unlikely going to wish to use it for extended discussions as the audio clarity is less than fantastic.
LiveTrack is the handiest feature. You can configure to on its own send a link to chosen contacts whenever you start an exercise, so they can follow your live location on a map. It’s excellent for following competition progress, but it primarily acts as a tool for someone you trust to be aware of your location in case an incident occurs. It has typically worked effectively, although the real position has occasionally lagged when transitioning in and out of good LTE coverage.
These features are available on other Garmin watches if you carry your phone with you, but in locations where LTE lacks coverage, the satellite activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, position check-ins and emergency SOS.
A guide shows you how to find the clear view to the satellite, which then sends and receives communications within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was surprisingly easy to use and could be a vital safety feature, though it is essential to remember that satellite service is limited to the US continent, the majority of Canada, and most of Europe excluding parts of Scandinavia above 65 degrees latitude.
Sustainability
The watch is generally serviceable with services available via the customer service portal. The battery is certified to retain at least 90% of its initial power after two years of weekly charging. The watch does not contain 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 additional Garmin inReach service plans cost from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Conclusion
This Fenix 8 Pro builds on a excellent adventure watch in the regular Fenix 8 and adds LTE for texting, calls and LiveTrack – plus orbital communication, check-in and SOS SOS for when you’re without coverage.
Outcome is an increasingly remarkable adventure tool for those that want to be unplugged. If you want to have someone keep an eye on you from afar while exercising out at night or in the remote areas, the Garmin does so without requiring anything else.
This is very liberating to be outdoors without a phone, but that functionality comes at quite a price, both in terms of the substantial price of the watch and the recurring subscription of the inReach plan to enable the service. At least it isn’t dependent on your phone provider so works with any brand of smartphone and network.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a killer gadget for someone who hates being weighed down by their phone when jogging, cycling or hiking, but nevertheless wants to be trackable and contactable. For everyone else, it is a significant expense when the excellent Fenix 8 already exists.
Advantages: LTE and satellite messaging, high-luminance OLED display, tracks everything with premier GPS, integrated torch, phone and standalone commands, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, complete offline mapping and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre diving, buttons and touchscreen.
Cons: very costly, LTE and satellite features need ongoing subscription, restricted Garmin Pay financial support, voice capabilities are sluggish, limited smartwatch functionality versus Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
