This most recent iteration of the premium Fenix outdoor timepiece includes a potentially lifesaving feature: no-phone communication and SOS messaging using 4G LTE or satellite connections.
The Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the previously impressive Fenix 8 by adding cutting-edge mobile technology, plus an optional state-of-the-art microLED screen in a limited edition. It is the brand's top device and designed to be the only tool needed to venture almost anywhere and monitor all your movements.
That 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 variant with microLED screen – almost twice the cost of the standard Fenix 8.
Users receive a lot of functionality for your money, with industry-leading fitness, activity and adventure monitoring. Its full offline maps of the world can automatically direct you return to the path if you get lost without a phone, and look excellent on the sizable, crisp and super-bright display.
This Fenix 8 Pro is only offered in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, omitting the more compact 43mm version available in other devices, so it is a big watch for larger wrists. However the 47mm OLED model as reviewed does have an extra day of smartwatch battery life despite the screen on all the time, enduring a reliable eight to nine days between charges.
No-Phone Texting, Calls and Real-Time Location
The company uses its own inReach LTE (4G) and orbital service service rather than depending on a watch plan linked to your phone carrier, like other smartwatches. However in contrast to Apple or Google's satellite-capable products, emergency messaging is not included for free.
Instead, plans start at £7.99 or similar a month, which includes unlimited LTE text and voice messages, call functionality and LiveTrack position sharing – so your friends or loved ones can keep an eye on you while engaged in jogging, biking or comparable pursuits – along with emergency orbital SOS messaging.
Check-ins and messages via satellite are then billed on top, with more expensive subscriptions including various allowances of orbital usage, climbing to a £50 a month all-inclusive subscription. The watch comes with a 30-day trial period so you can evaluate the service.
After you have completed setup, you just head out the door without your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You can not use it for playing music or comparable tasks, but you can place and receive calls, dispatch texts and generally keep in touch with your family and companions.
Whenever you message someone, Garmin sends them an SMS from a arbitrary number, which they can respond to back to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger app, you can then message reciprocally via text or voice messages, and initiate voice calls. Your recipient does not need a Garmin account to use the Messenger application, only a phone number is sufficient to sign up for texts.
Texting on the watch works fine but typing out texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is slow. It includes a collection of customisable pre-set replies you can send to speed things up. Spoken recordings and calls perform acceptably, although as with the majority of smartwatches, you’re not going to want to use it for lengthy discussions as the quality is less than ideal.
LiveTrack is the most useful feature. You can configure to on its own send a URL to selected contacts whenever you start an activity, so they can follow your real time position on a map. It’s great for monitoring competition performance, but it primarily acts as a utility for someone you trust to know your location in case something happens. It has generally worked effectively, although the real location has sometimes lagged when transitioning in and out of good LTE signal.
These features are available on other Garmin watches if you carry your phone with you, but in areas where LTE lacks coverage, the satellite activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, position check-ins and emergency SOS.
A on-screen assistance shows you how to find the line of sight 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 vital lifeline, though it is important to remember that satellite coverage is restricted to the US mainland, the majority of Canada, and the majority of Europe except for parts of Scandinavia above 65 degrees north.
Environmental Impact
The watch is typically repairable with options available via the support portal. The battery is certified to maintain at least 90% of its original power after two years of regular charging. The watch does not contain any recycled materials. Garmin offers disposal programs on recent purchases.
Price
The Fenix 8 Pro is priced 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).
Verdict
This Fenix 8 Pro takes a fantastic adventure watch in the regular Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for texting, call functionality and LiveTrack – plus satellite communication, location update and SOS SOS for when you’re without coverage.
The result is an increasingly remarkable outdoor tool for those that want to be phone-free. If you want to have someone monitor you from afar while exercising after dark or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin does so without needing anything else.
It is quite liberating to be outside without a phone, but that capability comes at quite a cost, both in terms of the substantial cost of the watch and the recurring fee of the inReach service to enable the service. Fortunately it isn’t dependent on your phone carrier so works with any make of smartphone and carrier.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier device for someone who hates being weighed down by their phone when running, cycling or hiking, but still wants to be trackable and reachable. For everyone else, it is a significant money when the excellent Fenix 8 is already available.
Pros: LTE and satellite communication, super-bright OLED display, tracks all activities with premier GPS, built-in torch, phone and standalone commands, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, full offline mapping and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre underwater use, buttons and touch.
Cons: extremely costly, LTE and satellite features require monthly subscription, restricted Garmin Pay financial compatibility, speech capabilities are sluggish, limited wearable functionality compared with competing watches.
