This latest model of the top-tier Fenix adventure timepiece introduces a potentially lifesaving feature: no-phone messaging and SOS messaging using 4G LTE or orbital links.
The Fenix 8 Pro builds upon the already outstanding Fenix 8 by incorporating cutting-edge mobile technology, along with an available state-of-the-art microLED display in a special edition. It is Garmin's premier model and engineered to be the single tool needed to venture virtually any location and monitor all your movements.
That makes it an extremely pricey option, priced from £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 edition with microLED display – almost double the price of the regular Fenix 8.
Users get a significant functionality for your investment, with best-in-class workout, movement and outdoor monitoring. The complete offline maps of the globe can automatically guide you return to the trail if you get lost without a phone, and look great on the sizable, crisp and high-luminance display.
This Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively available in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, omitting the smaller 43mm version available in other devices, so it is a large watch for larger wrists. But the 47mm OLED version as reviewed boasts an extra day of smartwatch battery life even with the screen always active, lasting a reliable eight to nine days between charging.
No-Phone Messaging, Calling and Live Tracking
The company operates its own inReach LTE (4G) and satellite service plan rather than depending on a watch plan tied to your phone provider, like other smartwatches. However in contrast to competing satellite-enabled products, emergency messaging is not included for free.
Instead, subscriptions begin from £7.99 or equivalent a month, which includes unlimited LTE SMS and voice messages, calls and LiveTrack position tracking – so your friends or family can keep an eye on you while engaged in jogging, cycling or similar pursuits – plus emergency orbital SOS alerts.
Check-ins and texts via satellite are then charged on top, with more expensive plans including various quotas of satellite use, increasing to a £50 a month unlimited plan. The watch comes with a 30-day free trial so you can test out the functionality.
After you have completed setup, you simply head out outside without your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You cannot use it for streaming music or comparable tasks, but you can make and take calls, dispatch texts and generally keep in touch with your family and companions.
Whenever you message someone, Garmin sends them an SMS from a random number, which they can respond to directly to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger application, you can then message back and forth via text or spoken communications, and initiate voice calls. Your contact does not need a Garmin account to use the Messenger application, just a mobile number is sufficient to sign up for texts.
Messaging on the watch works adequately but composing texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It has a collection of personalizable canned responses you can use to speed things up. Spoken recordings and calls perform OK, though as with the majority of smartwatches, you’re unlikely going to wish to use it for extended conversations as the quality is not fantastic.
LiveTrack is the handiest function. You can configure to on its own send a URL to chosen contacts every time you begin an activity, so they can track your real time position on a map. It’s great for monitoring competition progress, but it mostly acts as a tool for someone you trust to know your location in case something happens. It has generally worked well, although the real location has sometimes been delayed when transitioning in and out of good LTE signal.
These capabilities are accessible on other Garmin devices if you carry your phone with you, but in locations where LTE does not reach, the orbital activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, position check-ins and emergency SOS.
A guide shows you how to locate the line of sight to the satellite, which then transmits and gets communications within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was unexpectedly easy to use and could be a vital lifeline, though it is essential to remember that satellite service is restricted to the US mainland, the majority of Canada, and the majority of Europe except for parts of Scandinavia above 65 degrees north.
Sustainability
The watch is generally serviceable with options available through the customer service portal. The battery is rated to maintain at least 90% of its initial power after two years of regular charging. The watch lacks any recycled components. Garmin offers recycling schemes on recent purchases.
Cost
This Fenix 8 Pro costs from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The optional Garmin inReach subscription packages begin 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 incorporates LTE for texting, call functionality and LiveTrack – along with satellite communication, location update and emergency SOS for when you’re without signal.
The result is an increasingly impressive adventure device for those that desire to be phone-free. If you wish to have someone monitor you remotely while running out at night or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin accomplishes this without requiring anything else.
This is very freeing to be outside without a phone, but that functionality carries quite a price, both in terms of the colossal price of the watch and the monthly subscription of the inReach plan to enable the service. Fortunately it is not dependent on your phone provider so works with any make of smartphone and network.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier device for someone who hates being weighed down by their phone when jogging, biking or hiking, but nevertheless desires to be locatable and contactable. For everyone else, it is a significant expense when the superb Fenix 8 is already available.
Advantages: LTE and orbital communication, super-bright OLED display, monitors all activities with premier GPS, built-in flashlight, phone and standalone commands, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, full offline maps and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre underwater use, physical controls and touchscreen.
Cons: extremely expensive, LTE and satellite functions require monthly payment, restricted Garmin Pay financial compatibility, voice features are slow, limited smartwatch features compared with competing watches.
