This newest version of the flagship Fenix adventure watch includes a life-saving capability: no-phone communication and SOS messaging via 4G LTE or orbital connections.
The Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the previously impressive Fenix 8 by adding new mobile tech, plus an available advanced microLED screen in a special edition. It is Garmin's premier model and engineered to be the only tool needed to explore almost any location and monitor every activity.
That makes it an extremely pricey proposition, priced from £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 display – nearly twice the price of the standard Fenix 8.
Users get a significant features for your money, with best-in-class fitness, movement and outdoor tracking. The complete offline mapping of the globe can automatically guide you return to the path if you lose your way without a phone, and look great on the large, crisp and high-luminance touchscreen.
The Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively offered in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, not the more compact 43mm version available in other devices, so it is a large watch for bigger wrists. But the 47mm OLED model as reviewed boasts an extra day of smartwatch battery life even with the screen on all the time, lasting a solid eight to nine days between charges.
No-Phone Messaging, Calling and Real-Time Location
The company uses its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and satellite service plan rather than depending on a watch plan linked to your mobile provider, like other wearables. However unlike competing satellite-enabled products, emergency messaging is not included for free.
Rather, plans begin from £7.99 or equivalent a month, which includes unlimited LTE text and voice messages, call functionality and LiveTrack location sharing – so your friends or loved ones can monitor you while out jogging, cycling or similar pursuits – along with SOS satellite SOS alerts.
Check-ins and texts over satellite are then billed on top, with more expensive plans offering different quotas of satellite usage, increasing to a £50 a month all-inclusive subscription. The watch includes a 30-day free trial so you can test out the service.
After you have got it set up, you just venture outside minus your phone and the watch will link to LTE. You cannot use it for streaming music or comparable tasks, but you are able to make and take calls, dispatch texts and overall keep in touch with your family and companions.
When you message someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a random number, which they can respond to directly to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger app, you can then message back and forth via typed or voice communications, and make voice calls. Your contact is not required to have a Garmin account to use the Messenger application, just a mobile number is enough to sign up for texts.
Messaging on the watch functions adequately but composing texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is slow. It includes a collection of customisable canned responses you can send to expedite communication. Spoken recordings and calls perform acceptably, although as with the majority of smartwatches, you’re not going to wish to use it for lengthy conversations as the audio clarity is not ideal.
LiveTrack is the most useful function. You can configure to on its own transmit a URL to selected contacts every time you begin an exercise, so they can track your live location on a map. It’s great for following competition performance, but it primarily acts as a utility for someone you rely on to be aware of your location in case an incident occurs. It has generally worked effectively, though the real location has occasionally lagged when transitioning in and out of strong LTE signal.
All of these capabilities 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 transmit texts, location check-ins and SOS SOS.
A guide 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 easy to use and could be a vital lifeline, however it is essential to note that satellite coverage is limited to the US continent, most of Canada, and most of Europe except for parts of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees latitude.
Environmental Impact
The watch is generally repairable with services offered through the customer service portal. The battery is rated to retain at least 90% of its original capacity after two years of weekly charging. The watch lacks any reused components. Garmin offers disposal programs on recent purchases.
Price
This 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
This Fenix 8 Pro builds on a fantastic outdoor watch in the regular Fenix 8 and adds LTE for messaging, call functionality and LiveTrack – along with satellite communication, location update and emergency SOS for when you’re out of coverage.
The result is an increasingly impressive outdoor tool for those that desire to be phone-free. If you wish to have someone monitor you from afar while running out at night or in the remote areas, the Garmin does so without needing additional gear.
It is very liberating to be outdoors without a phone, but that capability comes at a significant price, both in terms of the colossal price of the watch and the recurring fee of the inReach service to enable the features. Fortunately it is not reliant on your phone provider so functions with any make of smartphone and network.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier device for someone who hates being weighed down by their phone when running, cycling or trekking, but nevertheless wants to be locatable and contactable. For other users, it is a lot of money when the superb Fenix 8 is already available.
Pros: LTE and satellite messaging, super-bright OLED display, monitors everything with best-in-class GPS, integrated torch, voice and offline voice control, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, full offline maps and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre diving, buttons and touch.
Drawbacks: extremely costly, LTE and orbital functions require monthly payment, limited Garmin Pay bank support, speech capabilities are sluggish, basic wearable functionality versus Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
