This newest version of the premium Fenix adventure timepiece includes a life-saving capability: no-phone messaging and SOS messaging using 4G LTE or satellite links.
This Fenix 8 Pro builds upon the already outstanding Fenix 8 by adding cutting-edge cellular tech, along with an available state-of-the-art microLED display in a special edition. This is the brand's premier device and designed to be the single tool required to explore virtually any location and monitor all your movements.
That positions it as an extremely expensive proposition, priced from £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED version and reaching a substantial £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm edition with microLED screen – almost double the price of the regular Fenix 8.
You do get a significant features for your money, with best-in-class workout, movement and adventure monitoring. Its full offline mapping of the globe can seamlessly direct you back to the trail if you get lost without a phone, and appear great on the large, crisp and super-bright touchscreen.
The Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively offered in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, omitting the more compact 43mm size available in other devices, so it is a large watch for bigger wrists. But the 47mm OLED model as tested does have an extra day of smartwatch battery life despite the display on all the time, lasting a reliable eight to nine days between charging.
Phone-Free Texting, Calling and Live Tracking
The company uses its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and satellite subscription plan rather than depending on a watch plan linked to your phone provider, as with other wearables. But in contrast to competing satellite-capable products, SOS communication is not provided for free.
Rather, subscriptions start at £7.99 or similar a month, which includes limitless LTE SMS and voice messaging, call functionality and LiveTrack position tracking – so your contacts or loved ones can monitor you while out running, cycling or similar activities – along with emergency orbital SOS alerts.
Location updates and messages over satellite are then billed on top, with more expensive plans offering different quotas of satellite 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.
Once you have got it set up, you just head out outside without your phone and the watch will link to LTE. You cannot use it for streaming music or similar activities, but you can make and take calls, send texts and overall keep in touch with your relatives and friends.
Whenever you message someone, Garmin sends them an SMS from a arbitrary phone number, which they can respond to back to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger application, you can then message back and forth using text or voice communications, and initiate voice calls. Your recipient does not need a Garmin profile to use the Messenger app, only a mobile number is sufficient to register for texts.
Messaging on the watch works adequately but typing out texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is slow. It has a collection of customisable pre-set replies you can use to speed things up. Voice recordings and calls perform OK, though as with the majority of smartwatches, you’re not going to wish to use it for extended conversations as the quality is less than ideal.
LiveTrack is the handiest feature. You can configure to automatically transmit a link to selected contacts every time you begin an activity, so they can follow your real time location on a map. It’s excellent for monitoring competition performance, but it primarily serves as a tool for someone you rely on to be aware of your location in case an incident occurs. It has typically functioned well, although the actual position has occasionally been delayed when transitioning in and out of strong LTE signal.
All of these features are accessible on other Garmin watches if you carry your phone with you, but in areas where LTE does not reach, the orbital activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, position check-ins and emergency SOS.
A on-screen assistance displays you how to locate the clear view to the satellite, which then transmits and gets communications within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was unexpectedly straightforward to use and could be a crucial safety feature, though it is essential to remember that orbital coverage is limited to the US continent, most of Canada, and most of Europe except for parts of Scandinavia above 65 degrees north.
Sustainability
The watch is typically serviceable with services offered via the support site. The battery is rated to retain at least 90% of its original power after two years of weekly charging. The watch does not contain any recycled materials. Garmin offers recycling 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 optional Garmin inReach subscription packages cost from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Verdict
This Fenix 8 Pro builds on a fantastic outdoor watch in the standard Fenix 8 and adds LTE for messaging, call functionality and LiveTrack – along with satellite communication, location update and SOS SOS for when you’re out of signal.
The result is an increasingly impressive outdoor tool for those that desire to be unplugged. If you wish to have someone keep an eye on you from afar while running after dark or in the remote areas, the Garmin does so without requiring additional gear.
It is quite freeing to be outside without a phone, but that functionality comes at a significant cost, both in terms of the colossal cost of the watch and the recurring subscription of the inReach service to enable the service. At least it isn’t dependent on your phone carrier so functions with all brand of smartphone and network.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a killer gadget for someone who dislikes being weighed down by their phone when jogging, biking or trekking, but still desires to be trackable and contactable. For other users, it is a significant expense when the excellent Fenix 8 is already available.
Pros: LTE and orbital messaging, super-bright OLED display, tracks all activities with best-in-class GPS, integrated torch, phone and offline commands, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, full offline mapping and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre underwater use, physical controls and touch.
Cons: very expensive, LTE and orbital features require monthly payment, limited Garmin Pay financial compatibility, speech features are slow, basic smartwatch features compared with Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
