This latest model of the flagship Fenix outdoor timepiece includes a potentially lifesaving feature: no-phone communication and SOS alerts via 4G LTE or satellite connections.
This Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the already impressive Fenix 8 by adding cutting-edge mobile tech, plus an optional state-of-the-art microLED screen in a special edition. This is Garmin's top model and engineered to be the single tool required to explore virtually any location and track every activity.
This 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 variant with microLED screen – nearly twice the cost of the regular Fenix 8.
You do receive a significant features for your investment, with industry-leading workout, activity and adventure tracking. Its complete offline maps of the globe can seamlessly guide you return to the path if you get lost without a phone, and look great on the sizable, sharp and super-bright touchscreen.
The Fenix 8 Pro is only offered in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, omitting the more compact 43mm version available in other devices, so it is a big watch for bigger wrists. However the 47mm OLED model as reviewed does have an extra day of smartwatch battery life even with the screen always active, lasting a reliable eight to nine days between charging.
Phone-Free Texting, Calls and Live Tracking
Garmin uses its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and satellite service service instead of relying on a watch plan linked to your phone carrier, as with other smartwatches. But unlike Apple or Google's satellite-capable devices, SOS communication is not provided for free.
Rather, subscriptions begin from £7.99 or similar a month, which provides unlimited LTE text and audio messages, calls and LiveTrack position tracking – so your contacts or loved ones can monitor you while out jogging, biking or comparable activities – plus SOS satellite SOS messaging.
Check-ins and texts via satellite are then charged additionally, with more expensive plans offering different quotas of orbital use, increasing to a £50 a month all-inclusive plan. The watch comes with a 30-day free trial so you can test out the functionality.
After you have got it set up, you just head out the door minus 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 overall keep in touch with your family and companions.
When you message someone, Garmin sends them an SMS from a arbitrary number, which they can reply to directly to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger app, you can then communicate back and forth using text or spoken messages, and make voice calls. Your recipient does not need a Garmin account to use the Messenger app, only a phone number is sufficient to sign up for texts.
Texting on the watch functions fine but composing texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It has a set of personalizable canned replies you can use to speed things up. Spoken recordings and calls perform OK, although as with most wearables, you’re unlikely going to want to use it for extended discussions as the audio clarity is less than ideal.
LiveTrack is the handiest feature. You can set it up to automatically send a URL to chosen contacts whenever you begin an activity, so they can follow your real time position on a map. It’s great for following competition performance, but it mostly acts as a tool for someone you rely on to be aware of your whereabouts in case something happens. It has typically functioned effectively, though the real location has occasionally lagged when transitioning in and out of strong LTE coverage.
All of these features are available on other Garmin devices if you carry your phone with you, but in locations where LTE lacks coverage, the orbital kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, position updates and emergency SOS.
A guide displays you how to locate the clear view to the satellite, which then sends and receives messages within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was unexpectedly straightforward to use and could be a crucial safety feature, however it is essential to remember that satellite coverage is restricted to the US mainland, the majority of Canada, and the majority of Europe excluding parts of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees north.
Sustainability
The watch is typically repairable with options available through the customer service portal. The battery is rated to maintain at least 90% of its original capacity after two years of regular charging. The watch lacks any recycled components. Garmin provides 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 additional Garmin inReach subscription packages begin from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Conclusion
This Fenix 8 Pro takes a excellent adventure watch in the standard Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for texting, call functionality and LiveTrack – along with orbital communication, location update and SOS SOS for when you’re without signal.
Outcome is an even more impressive adventure tool for those that desire to be phone-free. If you wish to have someone monitor you from afar while exercising out at night or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin accomplishes this without requiring additional gear.
It is quite freeing to be outdoors without a phone, but that capability comes at a significant price, both in terms of the substantial price of the watch and the monthly fee of the inReach plan to provide the service. At least it isn’t 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 burdened by their phone when running, biking or hiking, but still wants to be locatable and contactable. For other users, it is a significant expense when the excellent Fenix 8 already exists.
Advantages: LTE and orbital messaging, high-luminance OLED display, tracks everything with premier GPS, built-in flashlight, phone and standalone voice control, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, complete offline mapping and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre underwater use, buttons and touch.
Drawbacks: very expensive, LTE and orbital functions require ongoing subscription, limited Garmin Pay bank support, voice features are slow, limited smartwatch functionality compared with Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
