The latest iteration of the top-tier Fenix adventure watch brings a life-saving capability: no-phone communication and SOS messaging using 4G LTE or orbital links.
This Fenix 8 Pro enhances the already impressive Fenix 8 by adding new mobile tech, along with an available state-of-the-art microLED display in a special edition. It is Garmin's top model and engineered to be the only gadget required to venture almost anywhere and track all your movements.
This makes it an extremely pricey proposition, priced from £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED model and climbing to 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.
You do get a significant functionality for your investment, with best-in-class fitness, movement and adventure monitoring. Its full offline mapping of the globe can seamlessly guide you return to the path if you get lost absent a phone, and appear great on the large, sharp and super-bright touchscreen.
This Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively available in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, not the more compact 43mm size found in other models, so it is a big watch for larger wrists. However the 47mm OLED model as reviewed boasts an additional day of watch battery life despite the display on all the time, enduring a solid eight to nine days between charges.
Phone-Free Messaging, Calls and Live Tracking
Garmin operates its own inReach LTE (4G) and orbital service service instead of relying on a watch plan linked to your mobile provider, as with other wearables. But unlike competing satellite-capable devices, emergency communication is not included for free.
Rather, subscriptions start at £7.99 or equivalent a month, which includes limitless LTE text and voice messaging, call functionality and LiveTrack position tracking – so your friends or loved ones can keep an eye on you while engaged in jogging, cycling or comparable activities – plus emergency orbital SOS alerts.
Check-ins and messages over satellite are then billed on top, with higher-tier subscriptions including different allowances of satellite usage, increasing to a £50 a month all-inclusive plan. The watch includes a 30-day trial period so you can evaluate the functionality.
After you have got it set up, you just head out the door minus your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You can not use it for streaming music or similar activities, but you can make and take calls, dispatch texts and generally keep in touch with your relatives and friends.
Whenever you text someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a random phone number, which they can reply to back to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger app, you can then communicate reciprocally using text or voice communications, and initiate voice calls. Your contact does not need a Garmin account to use the Messenger application, just a phone number is sufficient to register for texts.
Messaging on the watch works adequately but typing out texts on the small on-screen keyboard is slow. It includes a set of customisable canned replies you can use to expedite communication. Voice recordings and calls work acceptably, though as with the majority of smartwatches, you’re unlikely going to want to use it for extended conversations as the quality is not fantastic.
LiveTrack is the handiest feature. You can set it up to on its own transmit a link to selected contacts whenever you start an exercise, so they can follow your real time position on a map. It’s excellent for monitoring competition progress, but it primarily serves as a tool for someone you rely on to know your location in case something happens. It has typically functioned effectively, though the actual location has occasionally lagged when transitioning in and out of strong LTE coverage.
All of these features 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 SOS SOS.
A on-screen assistance displays you how to locate the line of sight to the orbital system, which then sends and receives messages 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 orbital service is limited to the US mainland, most of Canada, and most of Europe excluding regions of Scandinavia above 65 degrees latitude.
Sustainability
The watch is typically serviceable with services available via the customer service site. The battery is certified to maintain at least 90% of its initial power after two years of weekly charging. The watch lacks any recycled 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 cost from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Verdict
The Fenix 8 Pro takes a fantastic adventure watch in the regular Fenix 8 and adds LTE for texting, call functionality and LiveTrack – along with orbital messaging, check-in and SOS SOS for when you’re out of signal.
Outcome is an even more impressive adventure tool for those that desire to be unplugged. If you want to have someone keep an eye on you from afar while running out at night or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin does so without needing anything else.
This is very freeing to be outdoors without a phone, but that capability carries quite a cost, both in terms of the colossal price of the watch and the recurring subscription of the inReach plan to provide the service. Fortunately it isn’t reliant on your phone provider so functions with all make of smartphone and carrier.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier device for someone who dislikes being weighed down by their phone when running, biking or trekking, but still wants to be locatable and contactable. For everyone else, it is a significant money when the superb Fenix 8 is already available.
Advantages: LTE and satellite messaging, high-luminance OLED screen, tracks all activities with premier GPS, integrated flashlight, phone and offline voice control, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, complete offline maps and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre underwater use, buttons and touch.
Cons: extremely costly, LTE and satellite functions need monthly subscription, restricted Garmin Pay bank compatibility, voice features are slow, basic smartwatch features compared with Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
