This newest model of the premium Fenix outdoor timepiece brings a potentially lifesaving feature: no-phone communication and emergency alerts using 4G LTE or orbital links.
The Fenix 8 Pro enhances the already impressive Fenix 8 by incorporating new cellular technology, plus an available advanced microLED screen in a limited edition. It is the brand's top model and designed to be the single gadget required to venture almost any location and monitor every activity.
This positions it as an very expensive proposition, priced from £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED model and reaching a colossal £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm edition with microLED display – nearly twice the price of the standard Fenix 8.
You do get a lot of features for your money, with industry-leading workout, activity and adventure monitoring. Its full offline mapping of the globe can seamlessly direct you back to the path if you lose your way absent a phone, and appear excellent on the large, sharp and high-luminance display.
The Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively offered in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, omitting the more compact 43mm version available in other devices, so it is a large watch for larger wrists. However the 47mm OLED model as reviewed does have an extra day of watch battery life despite the display always active, lasting a reliable eight to nine days between charges.
No-Phone Messaging, Calls and Real-Time Location
Garmin uses its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and orbital service plan rather than depending on a watch plan tied to your phone carrier, like other wearables. But unlike competing satellite-capable devices, emergency communication is not provided for no cost.
Instead, plans start at £7.99 or similar a month, which includes unlimited LTE text and audio messaging, call functionality and LiveTrack position sharing – so your friends or family can keep an eye on you while out jogging, biking or similar pursuits – along with emergency orbital SOS alerts.
Location updates and messages over orbital are then charged on top, with more expensive subscriptions including various allowances of satellite usage, climbing to a £50 a month all-inclusive subscription. The watch comes with a 30-day free trial so you can test out the functionality.
Once you have completed setup, you just venture outside without your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You cannot use it for streaming music or comparable activities, but you are able to make and take calls, dispatch texts and overall keep in touch with your relatives and friends.
When you message someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a arbitrary number, which they can respond to back to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger application, you can then communicate reciprocally using typed or spoken messages, and make voice calls. Your recipient is not required to have a Garmin account 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 small on-screen keyboard is slow. It includes a set of customisable pre-set responses you can send to speed things up. Voice recordings and calls perform acceptably, although as with the majority of smartwatches, you’re not going to want to use it for extended discussions as the quality is less than fantastic.
LiveTrack is the most useful function. You can configure to automatically send a link to selected contacts every time you start an exercise, so they can follow your live location on a map. It’s great for monitoring race performance, but it primarily acts as a tool for someone you trust to know your location in case an incident occurs. It has typically worked effectively, though the real position has occasionally lagged when moving in and out of good LTE signal.
All of these features are accessible on other Garmin watches if you bring your phone with you, but in locations where LTE lacks coverage, the orbital kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, location check-ins and SOS SOS.
A guide displays 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 straightforward to use and could be a crucial safety feature, however it is essential to note that orbital coverage is restricted to the US continent, the majority of Canada, and the majority of Europe except for parts of Scandinavia above 65 degrees north.
Sustainability
The watch is typically serviceable with services available through the support portal. The battery is rated to retain at least 90% of its initial power after two years of weekly charging. The watch lacks any reused components. Garmin provides recycling programs on recent purchases.
Cost
This Fenix 8 Pro is priced from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The additional Garmin inReach service packages begin from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Verdict
This Fenix 8 Pro builds on a fantastic adventure watch in the standard Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for messaging, call functionality and LiveTrack – plus orbital communication, location update and SOS SOS for when you’re out of signal.
Outcome is an increasingly impressive outdoor device for those that desire to be unplugged. If you want to have someone monitor you from afar while running after dark or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin does so without needing additional gear.
This is very freeing to be outdoors without a phone, but that capability comes at a significant cost, both in terms of the colossal cost of the watch and the monthly subscription of the inReach plan to enable the features. Fortunately it isn’t dependent on your phone carrier so functions with all brand of smartphone and carrier.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier device for someone who hates being weighed down by their phone when jogging, cycling or hiking, but nevertheless wants to be trackable and contactable. For other users, it is a significant money when the excellent Fenix 8 is already available.
Pros: LTE and orbital messaging, super-bright OLED display, tracks everything with premier GPS, built-in torch, voice and offline commands, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, full offline maps and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre underwater use, buttons and touch.
Drawbacks: very expensive, LTE and orbital features need ongoing payment, restricted Garmin Pay bank compatibility, speech capabilities are slow, basic wearable functionality compared with Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
