The newest iteration of the top-tier Fenix outdoor timepiece includes a life-saving capability: phone-free messaging and SOS alerts via 4G LTE or orbital links.
The Fenix 8 Pro enhances the previously outstanding Fenix 8 by adding cutting-edge mobile technology, along with an available advanced microLED screen in a special edition. This is the brand's premier device and engineered to be the single tool required to explore almost anywhere and track all your movements.
This makes it an extremely pricey option, starting at £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED version and climbing to a substantial £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm variant with microLED display – almost double the price of the regular Fenix 8.
Users get a lot of functionality for your investment, with best-in-class fitness, movement and outdoor monitoring. The full offline maps of the globe can seamlessly guide you return to the path if you lose your way without a phone, and appear excellent on the large, sharp and super-bright touchscreen.
The Fenix 8 Pro is only offered in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, omitting the more compact 43mm version available in other devices, so it is a big watch for bigger wrists. But the 47mm OLED model as reviewed does have an extra day of watch battery life even with the screen always active, enduring a solid eight to nine days between charges.
No-Phone Texting, Calls and Real-Time Location
The company uses its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and satellite service service instead of depending on a watch plan linked to your phone provider, as with other wearables. But unlike Apple or Google's satellite-enabled devices, SOS communication is not provided for free.
Instead, plans start at £7.99 or similar a month, which provides unlimited LTE SMS and voice messages, calls and LiveTrack position tracking – so your contacts or loved ones can keep an eye on you while engaged in jogging, cycling or comparable activities – along with SOS orbital SOS messaging.
Check-ins and messages via satellite are then billed on top, with higher-tier subscriptions including various quotas of orbital use, increasing to a £50 a month all-inclusive subscription. The watch comes with a 30-day trial period so you can test out the functionality.
After you have completed setup, you simply venture outside minus your phone and the watch will link to LTE. You cannot use it for streaming music or comparable tasks, but you are able to place and receive calls, dispatch texts and overall keep in touch with your relatives and friends.
When you text someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a random phone number, which they can respond to back to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger app, you can then message reciprocally via text or voice communications, and initiate voice calls. Your contact does not need a Garmin profile to use the Messenger application, just a mobile number is sufficient to sign up for texts.
Texting on the watch functions fine but typing out texts on the small 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, though as with the majority of smartwatches, you’re unlikely going to want to use it for extended discussions as the audio clarity is not fantastic.
LiveTrack is the most useful feature. You can configure to on its own transmit a link to selected contacts every time you begin an activity, so they can follow your live location on a map. It’s excellent for monitoring race performance, but it mostly serves as a tool for someone you trust to be aware of your location in case an incident occurs. It has typically functioned effectively, though the real location has sometimes lagged when transitioning in and out of strong LTE signal.
These capabilities are accessible on other Garmin watches if you bring your phone with you, but in areas where LTE lacks coverage, the satellite kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, position check-ins and emergency SOS.
A guide displays you how to find the clear view to the orbital system, which then transmits and gets communications within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was unexpectedly easy to use and could be a crucial safety feature, though it is essential to remember that orbital coverage is restricted to the US mainland, most of Canada, and most of Europe excluding regions of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees latitude.
Environmental Impact
The watch is typically repairable with options offered through the customer service portal. The battery is certified to maintain at least 90% of its initial power after two years of regular charging. The watch lacks any reused components. Garmin offers recycling schemes on new purchases.
Cost
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).
Verdict
The Fenix 8 Pro builds on a fantastic adventure watch in the standard Fenix 8 and adds LTE for texting, calls and LiveTrack – plus satellite messaging, location update and SOS SOS for when you’re without signal.
Outcome is an even more remarkable outdoor tool for those that want to be unplugged. If you want to have someone keep an eye on you remotely while running after dark or in the remote areas, the Garmin accomplishes this without needing anything else.
It is very liberating to be outside without a phone, but that functionality comes at quite a cost, both in terms of the substantial price of the watch and the recurring subscription of the inReach plan to provide the features. Fortunately it isn’t dependent on your phone provider so works with all brand of smartphone and network.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier device for someone who hates being weighed down by their phone when running, cycling or hiking, but still desires to be trackable and reachable. For everyone else, it is a significant expense when the excellent Fenix 8 is already available.
Advantages: LTE and satellite messaging, high-luminance OLED display, monitors everything with premier GPS, built-in torch, phone and standalone voice control, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, full offline maps and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre underwater use, buttons and touchscreen.
Cons: extremely expensive, LTE and orbital features need monthly subscription, limited Garmin Pay financial compatibility, speech features are sluggish, limited wearable features versus competing watches.
