This latest version of the top-tier Fenix adventure timepiece brings a potentially lifesaving capability: no-phone messaging and SOS alerts via 4G LTE or satellite links.
This Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the previously outstanding Fenix 8 by incorporating cutting-edge mobile technology, plus an available state-of-the-art microLED screen in a limited edition. It is Garmin's premier model and engineered to be the single tool required to venture almost any location and monitor every activity.
This makes it an very expensive option, priced from £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 edition with microLED display – nearly twice the cost of the standard Fenix 8.
Users get a lot of features for your money, with industry-leading workout, activity and adventure monitoring. Its complete offline mapping of the globe can seamlessly guide you back to the trail if you lose your way without a phone, and look great on the large, sharp and super-bright display.
This Fenix 8 Pro is only offered in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, omitting the smaller 43mm version available in other devices, so it is a big watch for bigger wrists. But the 47mm OLED version as reviewed does have an extra day of watch battery life despite the screen on all the time, enduring a solid eight to nine days between charging.
No-Phone Messaging, Calls and Real-Time Location
Garmin uses its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and satellite service service rather than depending on a watch plan linked to your mobile carrier, like other wearables. But unlike Apple or Google's satellite-enabled products, emergency communication is not included for free.
Rather, plans start at £7.99 or similar a month, which provides unlimited LTE text and audio messages, calls and LiveTrack position sharing – so your friends or loved ones can monitor you while engaged in jogging, biking or similar pursuits – plus SOS satellite SOS messaging.
Check-ins and messages over orbital are then charged additionally, with higher-tier subscriptions including various quotas of satellite usage, increasing to a £50 a month unlimited plan. The watch comes with a 30-day free trial so you can evaluate the service.
Once you have got it set up, you simply head out the door without your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You cannot use it for streaming music or comparable tasks, but you are able to make and take calls, dispatch texts and generally stay connected with your relatives and friends.
Whenever you text someone, Garmin sends them an SMS from a random number, which they can respond to directly to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger application, you can then communicate reciprocally via typed or spoken communications, and initiate voice calls. Your recipient does not need a Garmin account to use the Messenger app, just a mobile number is sufficient to sign up for texts.
Texting on the watch functions adequately but typing out texts on the small on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It includes a collection of customisable canned replies you can use to expedite communication. Spoken recordings and calls perform OK, although as with the majority of wearables, you’re unlikely going to wish to use it for extended conversations as the audio clarity is less than fantastic.
LiveTrack is the most useful function. You can configure to on its own send a URL to selected contacts every time you begin an activity, so they can track your real time location on a map. It’s excellent for monitoring competition performance, but it mostly serves as a tool for someone you rely on to know your whereabouts in case an incident occurs. It has generally functioned effectively, though the actual location has sometimes lagged when transitioning in and out of strong LTE coverage.
These features are accessible on other Garmin watches if you carry your phone with you, but in areas where LTE lacks coverage, the orbital kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, location check-ins and SOS SOS.
A guide shows you how to find the line of sight to the orbital system, which then transmits and gets messages within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was surprisingly straightforward to use and could be a crucial safety feature, however it is important to note that orbital coverage is restricted to the US mainland, most of Canada, and the majority of Europe excluding regions of Scandinavia above 65 degrees latitude.
Environmental Impact
The watch is typically repairable with options available through the support portal. The battery is certified to maintain at least 90% of its initial power after two years of regular charging. The watch lacks any recycled materials. Garmin offers disposal programs on recent purchases.
Cost
The Fenix 8 Pro costs from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The additional Garmin inReach service packages cost from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Conclusion
The Fenix 8 Pro builds on a fantastic outdoor watch in the regular Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for texting, call functionality and LiveTrack – plus orbital messaging, check-in and emergency SOS for when you’re without signal.
The result is an increasingly impressive adventure device for those that want to be unplugged. If you wish to have someone monitor you remotely while running out at night or in the remote areas, the Garmin does so without requiring anything else.
This is quite freeing to be outside without a phone, but that functionality carries quite a price, both in terms of the substantial cost of the watch and the recurring subscription of the inReach plan to enable the features. Fortunately it isn’t dependent on your phone carrier so works with all make of smartphone and network.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier gadget for someone who dislikes being burdened by their phone when jogging, cycling or trekking, but still wants to be locatable and reachable. For everyone else, it is a lot of money when the superb Fenix 8 is already available.
Advantages: LTE and orbital communication, high-luminance OLED display, monitors all activities with best-in-class GPS, integrated torch, phone and offline voice control, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, complete offline maps and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre diving, physical controls and touchscreen.
Cons: very costly, LTE and satellite features require ongoing payment, restricted Garmin Pay financial compatibility, voice features are sluggish, basic smartwatch features compared with competing watches.
