This most recent iteration of the top-tier Fenix outdoor watch includes a life-saving feature: phone-free messaging and SOS messaging using 4G LTE or satellite links.
The Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the already outstanding Fenix 8 by incorporating cutting-edge cellular tech, plus an available advanced microLED display in a limited edition. This is the brand's top model and designed to be the single gadget needed to venture virtually anywhere and track every activity.
That 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 screen – nearly twice the cost of the standard Fenix 8.
You do receive a significant functionality for your investment, with best-in-class workout, movement and adventure monitoring. The complete offline maps of the world can automatically guide you back to the path if you lose your way absent a phone, and appear excellent on the sizable, crisp and super-bright display.
The Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively available in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, omitting the more compact 43mm version found in other devices, so it is a big watch for bigger wrists. However the 47mm OLED version as tested does have an additional day of smartwatch battery life despite the display always active, lasting a solid eight to nine days between charges.
No-Phone Messaging, Calls and Real-Time Location
The company uses its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and satellite subscription service rather than depending on a watch plan linked to your mobile provider, like other wearables. However in contrast to Apple or Google's satellite-enabled devices, emergency communication is not included for free.
Rather, subscriptions start at £7.99 or equivalent a month, which provides unlimited LTE SMS and voice messaging, call functionality and LiveTrack position tracking – so your friends or loved ones can monitor you while engaged in jogging, biking or comparable pursuits – plus SOS satellite SOS messaging.
Check-ins and messages via satellite are then charged on top, with more expensive subscriptions including different allowances of orbital usage, increasing to a £50 a month unlimited plan. The watch includes a 30-day trial period so you can evaluate the functionality.
After you have got it set up, you just venture the door minus your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You can not use it for streaming music or similar tasks, but you can place and receive calls, dispatch texts and overall stay connected with your relatives and friends.
When you message 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 application, you can then message reciprocally via typed or spoken messages, and make voice calls. Your contact 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 works fine but typing out texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is slow. It has a set of customisable canned responses you can send to speed things up. Voice recordings and calls perform OK, though as with the majority of smartwatches, you’re not going to want to use it for lengthy discussions as the audio clarity is less than ideal.
LiveTrack is the most useful function. You can set it up to automatically transmit a link to chosen contacts whenever you start an exercise, so they can track your live position on a map. It’s great for monitoring competition progress, but it primarily acts as a tool for someone you rely on to know your whereabouts in case an incident occurs. It has typically functioned effectively, although the actual position has occasionally lagged when transitioning in and out of strong LTE signal.
These features are available on other Garmin watches if you carry your phone with you, but in locations where LTE lacks coverage, the satellite activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, position updates and SOS SOS.
A guide shows you how to locate the clear view to the satellite, which then transmits and gets messages within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was surprisingly straightforward to use and could be a vital safety feature, however it is essential to remember that orbital service is restricted to the US mainland, the majority of Canada, and the majority of Europe except for regions of Scandinavia above 65 degrees latitude.
Sustainability
The watch is typically serviceable with options available through the customer service portal. The battery is rated to retain at least 90% of its initial capacity after two years of regular charging. The watch lacks any reused components. Garmin provides recycling schemes on new purchases.
Price
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
This Fenix 8 Pro builds on a excellent adventure watch in the regular Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for messaging, calls and LiveTrack – along with satellite communication, check-in and SOS SOS for when you’re without signal.
Outcome is an increasingly impressive outdoor tool for those that desire to be unplugged. If you wish to have someone keep an eye on you remotely while running out at night or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin does so without needing anything else.
It is very freeing to be outdoors without a phone, but that functionality carries quite a price, both in terms of the substantial price of the watch and the monthly fee of the inReach plan to enable the features. Fortunately it is not reliant on your phone carrier so works with all brand of smartphone and carrier.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a killer device for someone who dislikes being weighed down by their phone when running, biking or trekking, but still desires to be locatable and contactable. For everyone else, it is a lot of expense when the excellent Fenix 8 already exists.
Pros: LTE and satellite communication, high-luminance OLED screen, monitors everything with best-in-class GPS, built-in torch, phone and offline commands, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, complete offline maps and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre diving, physical controls and touch.
Drawbacks: extremely expensive, LTE and satellite features need ongoing subscription, restricted Garmin Pay bank compatibility, voice capabilities are slow, limited smartwatch functionality versus Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
