This newest version of the top-tier Fenix outdoor timepiece introduces a potentially lifesaving capability: phone-free communication and emergency alerts via 4G LTE or satellite links.
This Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the already impressive Fenix 8 by incorporating cutting-edge mobile technology, along with an available advanced microLED screen in a special edition. It is Garmin's premier device and designed to be the single gadget needed to venture almost any location and monitor every activity.
This positions it as an very pricey option, priced from £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED version and reaching a colossal £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm variant with microLED display – almost double the price of the standard Fenix 8.
Users get a lot of features for your investment, with industry-leading fitness, movement and adventure tracking. Its complete offline maps of the globe can seamlessly guide you return to the trail if you get lost absent a phone, and look excellent on the sizable, sharp and high-luminance display.
The Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively offered in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, not the more compact 43mm version available in other models, so it is a large watch for bigger wrists. But the 47mm OLED model as reviewed boasts an additional day of smartwatch battery life even with the display on all the time, lasting a solid eight to nine days between charges.
Phone-Free Messaging, Calling and Real-Time Location
The company operates its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and orbital subscription service rather than depending on a watch plan tied to your mobile carrier, like other smartwatches. But unlike Apple or Google's satellite-enabled devices, SOS communication is not included for free.
Rather, plans begin from £7.99 or similar a month, which includes unlimited LTE SMS and audio messages, call functionality and LiveTrack location sharing – so your contacts or family can monitor you while out running, biking or similar activities – along with SOS orbital SOS alerts.
Check-ins and messages via satellite are then billed additionally, with more expensive subscriptions offering various quotas of orbital usage, increasing to a £50 a month unlimited subscription. The watch includes a 30-day free trial so you can evaluate the service.
Once you have got it set up, you simply venture outside without your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You cannot use it for playing music or comparable activities, but you are able to make and take calls, send texts and generally stay connected with your relatives and friends.
When you text someone, Garmin sends them an SMS from a arbitrary phone number, which they can reply to back to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger app, you can then communicate back and forth using text or voice messages, and initiate voice calls. Your contact does not need a Garmin profile to use the Messenger app, just a mobile number is enough to register for texts.
Texting on the watch functions fine but typing out texts on the small on-screen keyboard is slow. It has a collection of customisable canned replies you can use to speed things up. Spoken messages and calls perform acceptably, although as with the majority of wearables, you’re not going to want to use it for lengthy discussions as the quality is not ideal.
LiveTrack is the most useful function. You can configure to automatically transmit a URL to selected contacts whenever you start an exercise, so they can track your live location on a map. It’s excellent for following competition progress, but it primarily acts as a tool for someone you rely on to know your location in case something happens. It has generally functioned effectively, though the actual location has sometimes lagged when transitioning in and out of strong 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 satellite kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, position check-ins and SOS SOS.
A guide shows you how to find the clear view to the satellite, which then sends and receives messages within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was surprisingly straightforward to use and could be a crucial lifeline, though it is essential to remember that satellite service is restricted to the US continent, most of Canada, and most of Europe excluding parts of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees latitude.
Sustainability
The watch is generally serviceable with services available through the customer service site. The battery is certified to maintain at least 90% of its original capacity after two years of regular charging. The watch lacks any reused components. Garmin provides recycling programs on new 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 plans begin from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Verdict
This Fenix 8 Pro takes a fantastic outdoor watch in the standard Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for messaging, call functionality and LiveTrack – along with satellite communication, check-in and emergency SOS for when you’re without signal.
The result is an increasingly impressive adventure tool for those that want to be unplugged. If you wish to have someone keep an eye on you from afar while exercising out at night or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin accomplishes this without needing anything else.
It is quite freeing to be outside without a phone, but that functionality comes at a significant price, both in terms of the substantial price of the watch and the recurring subscription of the inReach service to provide the service. At least it is not dependent on your phone provider so functions with all brand of smartphone and carrier.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a killer gadget for someone who dislikes being burdened by their phone when running, biking or trekking, but still wants to be trackable and reachable. For everyone else, it is a significant expense when the superb Fenix 8 already exists.
Advantages: LTE and orbital messaging, high-luminance OLED display, monitors all activities with best-in-class GPS, integrated torch, phone and offline commands, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, full offline mapping and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre diving, buttons and touch.
Drawbacks: extremely expensive, LTE and satellite features need ongoing subscription, restricted Garmin Pay bank support, speech features are slow, limited smartwatch functionality versus competing watches.
