This most recent version of the premium Fenix outdoor watch includes a life-saving capability: phone-free communication and SOS alerts using 4G LTE or satellite links.
This Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the previously impressive Fenix 8 by incorporating new cellular technology, along with an optional advanced microLED screen in a special edition. This is the brand's premier device and engineered to be the single gadget needed to venture virtually anywhere and track every activity.
That positions it as an extremely expensive option, priced from £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED model and reaching a substantial £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm edition with microLED display – almost twice the price of the regular Fenix 8.
You do receive a significant features for your investment, with best-in-class workout, activity and outdoor tracking. Its full offline maps of the globe can seamlessly direct you return to the path if you lose your way absent a phone, and appear excellent on the sizable, sharp and super-bright display.
This Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively offered in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, omitting the smaller 43mm version available 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 reliable eight to nine days between charging.
Phone-Free Texting, Calls and Live Tracking
The company uses its own inReach LTE (4G) and orbital subscription service rather than relying on a watch plan linked to your mobile carrier, as with other smartwatches. However in contrast to competing satellite-capable products, emergency communication is not included for free.
Rather, subscriptions start at £7.99 or similar a month, which includes limitless LTE text and voice messaging, call functionality and LiveTrack location sharing – so your friends or loved ones can keep an eye on you while engaged in jogging, biking or comparable pursuits – along with SOS satellite SOS alerts.
Check-ins and texts via orbital are then charged on top, with more expensive plans offering different quotas of orbital usage, increasing to a £50 a month all-inclusive plan. The watch includes a 30-day free trial so you can evaluate the functionality.
After you have got it set up, you simply venture outside minus your phone and the watch will link to LTE. You can not use it for streaming music or comparable tasks, but you are able to place and receive calls, dispatch texts and overall keep in touch with your family and friends.
When you message someone, Garmin sends them an SMS from a random number, which they can respond to back to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger app, you can then communicate back and forth using text or spoken communications, and make voice calls. Your contact does not need a Garmin profile to use the Messenger application, only a mobile number is enough to register for texts.
Texting on the watch functions fine but composing texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is slow. It has a set of personalizable canned responses you can use to speed things up. Spoken recordings and calls work acceptably, although as with most smartwatches, you’re not going to want to use it for extended discussions as the audio clarity is less than ideal.
LiveTrack is the most useful feature. You can set it up to on its own send a link to selected contacts every time you begin an exercise, so they can follow your live position on a map. It’s excellent for monitoring competition performance, but it primarily acts as a utility for someone you trust to know your location in case an incident occurs. It has typically worked well, though the real position has sometimes been delayed when transitioning in and out of strong LTE coverage.
These capabilities are available on other Garmin watches if you bring your phone with you, but in areas where LTE lacks coverage, the satellite kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, location check-ins and SOS SOS.
A guide shows you how to locate the clear view to the satellite, which then sends and receives communications within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was unexpectedly straightforward to use and could be a vital safety feature, however it is important to remember that satellite service is limited to the US continent, most of Canada, and the majority of Europe except for regions of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees north.
Sustainability
The watch is generally serviceable with services available via the customer service portal. The battery is certified to retain at least 90% of its initial capacity after two years of regular charging. The watch does not contain any recycled materials. Garmin provides disposal schemes on new 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 subscription packages cost from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Verdict
The Fenix 8 Pro takes a fantastic adventure watch in the regular Fenix 8 and adds LTE for messaging, calls and LiveTrack – along with satellite messaging, check-in and emergency SOS for when you’re out of coverage.
The result is an increasingly impressive outdoor tool for those that want to be unplugged. If you want to have someone monitor you from afar while exercising out at night or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin does so without needing additional gear.
It is quite liberating 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 recurring fee of the inReach service to enable the features. Fortunately it isn’t reliant on your phone carrier so works with any brand of smartphone and network.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a killer gadget for someone who hates being burdened by their phone when running, biking or hiking, but nevertheless desires to be locatable and contactable. For other users, it is a significant money when the excellent Fenix 8 is already available.
Advantages: LTE and orbital messaging, super-bright OLED display, monitors everything with premier GPS, built-in flashlight, 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, buttons and touch.
Cons: very costly, LTE and orbital functions need ongoing subscription, restricted Garmin Pay bank support, speech features are sluggish, limited wearable features versus competing watches.
