This newest version of the flagship Fenix adventure timepiece brings a life-saving feature: no-phone messaging and SOS messaging using 4G LTE or satellite connections.
This Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the previously impressive Fenix 8 by incorporating cutting-edge mobile tech, along with an available advanced microLED screen in a special edition. This is Garmin's top model and designed to be the single tool needed to explore almost any location and track every activity.
That makes it an extremely expensive option, starting at £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 variant with microLED screen – nearly twice the cost of the standard Fenix 8.
You do receive a significant features for your investment, with best-in-class workout, movement and outdoor tracking. The complete offline mapping of the globe can automatically direct you return to the trail if you lose your way absent a phone, and appear great on the sizable, crisp and super-bright display.
This Fenix 8 Pro is only offered in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, omitting the smaller 43mm version available in other models, so it is a big watch for bigger wrists. But the 47mm OLED version as tested boasts an additional day of watch battery life despite the display on all the time, enduring a solid eight to nine days between charging.
Phone-Free Messaging, Calls and Live Tracking
The company uses its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and satellite service service instead of depending on a watch plan tied to your phone provider, like other wearables. But in contrast to competing satellite-enabled products, SOS communication is not included for no cost.
Rather, subscriptions begin from £7.99 or similar a month, which includes unlimited LTE SMS and voice messages, call functionality and LiveTrack location tracking – so your friends or family can keep an eye on you while out jogging, biking or comparable pursuits – along with emergency orbital SOS messaging.
Check-ins and texts over orbital are then billed on top, with more expensive subscriptions offering various allowances of satellite usage, increasing to a £50 a month unlimited subscription. The watch includes a 30-day trial period so you can evaluate the service.
After you have got it set up, you just head out the door without your phone and the watch will link to LTE. You can not use it for playing music or similar activities, but you are able to place and receive calls, dispatch texts and overall keep in touch with your family and companions.
When 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 app, you can then message reciprocally using text or voice communications, and initiate voice calls. Your contact is not required to have a Garmin account to use the Messenger app, only a phone number is enough to sign up for texts.
Messaging on the watch works fine but typing out texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is slow. It includes a collection of personalizable canned responses you can use to speed things up. Spoken messages and calls perform acceptably, though as with the majority of smartwatches, you’re not going to wish to use it for lengthy conversations as the audio clarity is less than ideal.
LiveTrack is the handiest function. You can set it up to automatically send a link to selected contacts every time you begin an exercise, so they can follow your real time location on a map. It’s great for monitoring race progress, but it mostly serves as a tool for someone you rely on to be aware of your location in case something happens. It has generally functioned effectively, though the actual location has occasionally been delayed when moving in and out of good LTE signal.
These capabilities are available on other Garmin devices if you carry your phone with you, but in locations where LTE does not reach, the orbital activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, location updates and SOS SOS.
A guide shows you how to locate the line of sight to the satellite, which then transmits and gets messages within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was unexpectedly easy to use and could be a crucial lifeline, though it is essential to note that satellite service is limited to the US continent, most of Canada, and the majority of Europe excluding regions of Scandinavia above 65 degrees latitude.
Sustainability
The watch is typically serviceable with options offered through the customer service portal. The battery is certified to retain at least 90% of its initial power after two years of regular charging. The watch does not contain any recycled components. Garmin offers disposal programs on new purchases.
Price
The Fenix 8 Pro costs from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The additional Garmin inReach service packages begin from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Verdict
This Fenix 8 Pro builds on a excellent adventure watch in the standard Fenix 8 and adds LTE for messaging, calls and LiveTrack – plus orbital messaging, check-in and SOS SOS for when you’re without coverage.
The result is an even more impressive adventure device for those that want to be phone-free. If you wish to have someone keep an eye on you remotely while running after dark or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin accomplishes this without needing anything else.
This is quite liberating to be outdoors without a phone, but that capability comes at quite a cost, both in terms of the colossal cost of the watch and the monthly fee of the inReach plan to enable the features. At least it isn’t reliant on your phone provider so works with all brand of smartphone and network.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier device for someone who dislikes being weighed down by their phone when jogging, cycling or hiking, but nevertheless wants to be trackable and contactable. For everyone else, it is a significant money when the excellent Fenix 8 already exists.
Pros: LTE and orbital messaging, high-luminance OLED screen, monitors all activities with premier GPS, integrated torch, voice and offline voice control, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, complete offline mapping and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre diving, physical controls and touchscreen.
Cons: very expensive, LTE and satellite functions need ongoing subscription, restricted Garmin Pay financial compatibility, speech features are slow, basic wearable functionality compared with competing watches.
