The newest iteration of the top-tier Fenix outdoor watch brings a life-saving feature: no-phone messaging and emergency alerts via 4G LTE or orbital links.
The Fenix 8 Pro enhances the previously outstanding Fenix 8 by adding cutting-edge mobile tech, along with an available state-of-the-art microLED screen in a special edition. This is the brand's top device and designed to be the only tool required to explore almost anywhere and track all your movements.
That positions it as an very expensive proposition, starting at £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED version and climbing to a substantial £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm edition with microLED screen – almost double the cost of the regular Fenix 8.
Users receive a significant features for your investment, with best-in-class workout, movement and adventure tracking. The full offline maps of the globe can seamlessly direct you return to the path if you lose your way without a phone, and look excellent on the sizable, sharp and high-luminance touchscreen.
This Fenix 8 Pro is only offered in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, not the smaller 43mm size available in other models, so it is a big watch for larger wrists. However the 47mm OLED version as reviewed boasts an extra day of watch battery life even with the display always active, enduring a solid eight to nine days between charging.
No-Phone Texting, Calling and Real-Time Location
The company uses its own inReach LTE (4G) and satellite service plan instead of relying on a watch plan tied to your phone carrier, like other smartwatches. However unlike Apple or Google's satellite-capable products, SOS communication is not provided for free.
Rather, plans begin from £7.99 or equivalent a month, which includes unlimited LTE SMS and voice messaging, call functionality and LiveTrack position sharing – so your contacts or family can monitor you while out jogging, cycling or comparable activities – along with emergency satellite SOS alerts.
Check-ins and texts over satellite are then billed additionally, with higher-tier plans offering various quotas of orbital use, climbing to a £50 a month all-inclusive subscription. The watch includes a 30-day free trial so you can evaluate the service.
After you have completed setup, you simply head out the door without your phone and the watch will link to LTE. You cannot use it for streaming music or comparable activities, but you can make and take calls, dispatch texts and generally stay connected with your family and companions.
Whenever you message someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a random phone number, which they can reply to back to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger app, you can then communicate back and forth using typed or spoken communications, and initiate voice calls. Your contact does not need a Garmin profile to use the Messenger application, only a mobile number is sufficient to register for texts.
Messaging on the watch works fine but composing texts on the small on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It includes a collection of personalizable canned responses you can use to speed things up. Spoken recordings and calls perform OK, though as with most smartwatches, you’re unlikely going to want to use it for lengthy conversations as the audio clarity is not ideal.
LiveTrack is the handiest feature. You can configure to automatically send a link to chosen contacts every time you start an activity, so they can track your live position on a map. It’s excellent for monitoring competition progress, but it mostly serves as a utility for someone you trust to be aware of your location in case something happens. It has typically worked effectively, although the actual location has sometimes lagged when moving in and out of good LTE signal.
These features are accessible on other Garmin watches if you bring your phone with you, but in areas where LTE does not reach, the orbital kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, location updates and SOS SOS.
A on-screen assistance shows you how to find the clear view to the satellite, which then transmits and gets messages within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was unexpectedly straightforward to use and could be a vital safety feature, though it is important to remember that satellite coverage is restricted to the US mainland, most of Canada, and most of Europe excluding parts of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees north.
Sustainability
The watch is typically repairable with services available via the support portal. The battery is certified to retain at least 90% of its original capacity after two years of regular charging. The watch does not contain any reused components. Garmin offers recycling schemes on recent purchases.
Cost
The Fenix 8 Pro costs from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The optional Garmin inReach subscription plans cost from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Conclusion
The Fenix 8 Pro builds on a excellent adventure watch in the regular Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for texting, calls and LiveTrack – along with orbital communication, location update and SOS SOS for when you’re without coverage.
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 exercising after dark or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin accomplishes this without needing additional gear.
It is quite liberating to be outside without a phone, but that capability comes at quite a price, both in terms of the colossal cost of the watch and the monthly subscription of the inReach service to enable the service. Fortunately it is not dependent on your phone provider so works with all brand of smartphone and network.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a killer device for someone who hates being weighed down by their phone when jogging, biking or trekking, but nevertheless 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 communication, super-bright OLED screen, tracks everything 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 waterproofing and 40-metre underwater use, physical controls and touch.
Drawbacks: very expensive, LTE and satellite functions need monthly payment, limited Garmin Pay bank compatibility, voice capabilities are slow, limited smartwatch functionality versus Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
