The newest version of the top-tier Fenix outdoor timepiece includes a potentially lifesaving capability: no-phone messaging and emergency alerts via 4G LTE or orbital links.
This Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the already outstanding Fenix 8 by incorporating cutting-edge mobile tech, plus an optional state-of-the-art microLED display in a limited edition. This is Garmin's top device and engineered to be the only gadget needed to venture almost anywhere and monitor 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 model and climbing to a colossal £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm variant with microLED screen – almost double the cost of the regular Fenix 8.
Users get a lot of features for your money, with best-in-class workout, activity and outdoor tracking. Its full offline maps of the globe can seamlessly direct you back to the path if you lose your way absent a phone, and appear great on the large, crisp and high-luminance display.
This Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively offered in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, not the more compact 43mm version found in other devices, 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 despite the screen on all the time, lasting a reliable eight to nine days between charges.
No-Phone Messaging, Calls and Real-Time Location
The company operates its own inReach LTE (4G) and orbital service service instead of relying on a watch plan tied to your mobile carrier, like other smartwatches. But unlike Apple or Google's satellite-capable products, SOS communication is not included for no cost.
Instead, plans start at £7.99 or equivalent a month, which provides unlimited LTE text and voice messaging, calls and LiveTrack location tracking – so your friends or family can keep an eye on you while engaged in jogging, biking or comparable pursuits – along with emergency satellite SOS alerts.
Check-ins and texts over satellite are then charged on top, with higher-tier subscriptions offering various allowances of orbital usage, increasing to a £50 a month unlimited plan. The watch includes a 30-day trial period so you can evaluate the service.
Once you have got it set up, you just head out outside minus your phone and the watch will link to LTE. You cannot use it for streaming music or similar activities, but you can place and receive calls, dispatch texts and overall keep in touch with your family and companions.
When you text someone, Garmin sends 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 communicate back and forth via typed or voice communications, and initiate voice calls. Your contact is not required to have a Garmin profile to use the Messenger app, only a phone number is enough to sign up for texts.
Messaging on the watch functions adequately but composing texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is slow. It includes a set of customisable canned responses you can use to speed things up. Spoken messages and calls perform OK, though as with the majority of wearables, you’re unlikely going to wish to use it for lengthy conversations as the quality is less than fantastic.
LiveTrack is the handiest feature. You can configure to on its own send a URL to selected contacts every time you begin an activity, so they can follow your live position on a map. It’s great for monitoring race performance, but it mostly serves as a utility for someone you trust to be aware of your whereabouts in case something happens. It has typically functioned effectively, although the actual position has sometimes been delayed when moving in and out of good LTE coverage.
All of these capabilities are accessible on other Garmin devices 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 SOS SOS.
A guide shows you how to find the clear view to the satellite, which then transmits and gets communications within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was surprisingly easy to use and could be a crucial lifeline, however it is important to remember that satellite coverage is restricted to the US continent, most of Canada, and the majority of Europe excluding regions of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees latitude.
Sustainability
The watch is typically serviceable with options available via the customer service site. The battery is certified to maintain at least 90% of its initial capacity after two years of weekly charging. The watch lacks any reused materials. Garmin provides recycling schemes on new purchases.
Cost
This Fenix 8 Pro costs from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The optional 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 messaging, calls and LiveTrack – plus satellite communication, check-in and emergency SOS for when you’re out of signal.
Outcome is an increasingly remarkable adventure device for those that want to be unplugged. If you wish to have someone keep an eye on you from afar while exercising after dark or in the remote areas, the Garmin does so without requiring 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 substantial cost of the watch and the recurring fee of the inReach plan to enable the service. Fortunately it isn’t reliant on your phone provider so functions with any 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, cycling or hiking, but still wants to be trackable and reachable. For everyone else, it is a lot of expense when the excellent Fenix 8 is already available.
Pros: LTE and satellite communication, high-luminance OLED display, tracks everything with premier GPS, built-in torch, phone and standalone voice control, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, complete offline mapping and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre underwater use, physical controls and touch.
Drawbacks: extremely expensive, LTE and orbital functions require monthly subscription, restricted Garmin Pay financial support, voice capabilities are slow, limited wearable functionality versus Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
