This newest iteration of the top-tier Fenix outdoor watch introduces a potentially lifesaving capability: phone-free messaging and SOS messaging using 4G LTE or orbital links.
This Fenix 8 Pro enhances the previously impressive Fenix 8 by incorporating cutting-edge cellular tech, plus an available state-of-the-art microLED display in a limited edition. This is the brand's top model and designed to be the only tool required to venture almost anywhere and track every activity.
That positions it as an very pricey 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 – almost double the price of the regular Fenix 8.
Users get a significant functionality for your investment, with best-in-class fitness, movement and outdoor monitoring. The complete offline mapping of the globe can seamlessly direct you return to the trail if you lose your way absent a phone, and appear excellent on the sizable, sharp and high-luminance display.
The Fenix 8 Pro is only available in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, omitting the more compact 43mm size found in other models, so it is a big watch for larger wrists. But the 47mm OLED model as reviewed does have an additional day of smartwatch battery life even with the screen always active, lasting a solid eight to nine days between charges.
Phone-Free Texting, Calling and Live Tracking
The company operates its own inReach LTE (4G) and satellite service service rather than depending on a watch plan tied to your mobile carrier, as with other smartwatches. However unlike competing satellite-enabled products, emergency messaging is not included for no cost.
Rather, plans start at £7.99 or equivalent a month, which includes unlimited LTE text and audio messages, calls and LiveTrack location tracking – so your friends or family can monitor you while out running, cycling or comparable activities – plus SOS satellite SOS messaging.
Check-ins and texts via orbital are then charged on top, with more expensive subscriptions including different quotas of satellite usage, increasing to a £50 a month all-inclusive subscription. The watch comes with a 30-day free trial so you can evaluate the service.
After you have got it set up, you simply head out the door without your phone and the watch will link to LTE. You can not use it for streaming music or similar activities, but you are able to make and take calls, dispatch texts and generally stay connected with your family and friends.
Whenever you text someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a arbitrary phone number, which they can reply to directly to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger application, you can then communicate back and forth via text or spoken messages, and make voice calls. Your recipient does not need a Garmin profile to use the Messenger application, just a mobile number is enough 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 responses you can send to expedite communication. Voice messages and calls perform acceptably, although as with most wearables, you’re not going to wish to use it for extended conversations as the audio clarity is not ideal.
LiveTrack is the handiest feature. You can configure to automatically send a URL to selected contacts whenever you start an exercise, so they can follow your live location on a map. It’s great for monitoring competition progress, but it primarily serves as a tool for someone you rely on to know your whereabouts 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 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 updates and emergency SOS.
A guide shows you how to find 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 lifeline, though it is essential to note that satellite coverage is limited to the US continent, most of Canada, and the majority of Europe excluding parts of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees north.
Sustainability
The watch is typically serviceable with services offered via the customer service site. The battery is certified to retain at least 90% of its initial power after two years of weekly charging. The watch lacks any recycled materials. Garmin offers recycling programs on new purchases.
Price
The Fenix 8 Pro costs from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The optional Garmin inReach service packages begin from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Conclusion
This Fenix 8 Pro builds on a fantastic outdoor watch in the regular Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for texting, calls and LiveTrack – plus satellite messaging, location update and emergency SOS for when you’re out of signal.
The result is an increasingly impressive outdoor tool for those that want 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 accomplishes this without requiring anything else.
This is very liberating to be outdoors without a phone, but that functionality carries a significant price, both in terms of the substantial cost of the watch and the recurring fee of the inReach plan to provide the service. Fortunately it is not reliant on your phone carrier so functions with all make of smartphone and network.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a killer gadget for someone who dislikes being weighed down by their phone when jogging, cycling or trekking, but still wants to be trackable and reachable. For everyone else, it is a significant expense when the excellent Fenix 8 is already available.
Advantages: LTE and satellite communication, super-bright OLED display, tracks all activities with premier GPS, built-in torch, phone and standalone commands, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, complete offline mapping and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre underwater use, buttons and touch.
Drawbacks: very costly, LTE and orbital functions need monthly subscription, limited Garmin Pay bank compatibility, speech features are sluggish, limited wearable functionality versus competing watches.
