The newest version of the premium Fenix outdoor watch includes a potentially lifesaving feature: no-phone messaging and emergency alerts via 4G LTE or orbital links.
This Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the previously impressive Fenix 8 by incorporating new mobile technology, along with an available advanced microLED display in a special edition. It is the brand's top device and engineered to be the only tool required to explore virtually any location and track all your movements.
This makes it an extremely expensive proposition, priced from £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED model and reaching a colossal £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm variant with microLED display – nearly twice the cost of the standard Fenix 8.
You do get a lot of functionality for your money, with best-in-class fitness, activity and outdoor monitoring. The complete offline maps of the globe can seamlessly guide you back to the trail if you get lost absent a phone, and appear great on the sizable, crisp and high-luminance display.
The Fenix 8 Pro is only offered in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, not the more compact 43mm size found in other models, so it is a large watch for bigger wrists. But the 47mm OLED model as reviewed does have an additional day of smartwatch battery life even with the display on all the time, lasting a solid eight to nine days between charges.
Phone-Free Texting, Calling and Live Tracking
Garmin uses its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and orbital subscription plan instead of relying on a watch plan linked to your phone provider, as with other wearables. However unlike Apple or Google's satellite-enabled products, SOS communication is not provided for no cost.
Instead, plans start at £7.99 or equivalent a month, which provides unlimited LTE SMS and voice messages, call functionality and LiveTrack position sharing – so your contacts or loved ones can monitor you while engaged in running, cycling or comparable activities – plus SOS orbital SOS alerts.
Check-ins and texts via satellite are then charged additionally, with higher-tier plans including various allowances of orbital usage, increasing to a £50 a month unlimited plan. The watch comes with a 30-day trial period so you can test out the functionality.
After you have completed setup, you simply venture the door without your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You cannot use it for playing music or similar tasks, but you can make and take calls, dispatch texts and generally keep in touch with your family and friends.
When you message someone, Garmin sends them an SMS from a arbitrary number, which they can respond to directly to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger application, you can then communicate back and forth using typed or voice communications, and make voice calls. Your recipient is not required to have a Garmin profile to use the Messenger application, just a mobile number is sufficient to sign up for texts.
Messaging on the watch works fine but composing texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is slow. It includes a collection of customisable canned replies you can use to expedite communication. Voice recordings and calls work OK, although as with most wearables, you’re not going to wish to use it for lengthy conversations as the audio clarity is not fantastic.
LiveTrack is the handiest feature. You can configure to automatically send a URL to selected contacts whenever you begin an exercise, so they can follow your real time position on a map. It’s great for following race performance, but it primarily acts as a tool for someone you rely on to be aware of your location in case something happens. It has generally worked well, though the actual position has occasionally been delayed when moving in and out of good LTE signal.
All of these capabilities are accessible on other Garmin watches if you carry your phone with you, but in areas where LTE lacks coverage, the satellite kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, position check-ins and SOS SOS.
A guide shows you how to locate the clear view to the orbital system, which then sends and receives messages within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was unexpectedly easy to use and could be a vital lifeline, however it is important to remember that satellite service is limited to the US mainland, the majority of Canada, and the majority of Europe excluding regions of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees north.
Sustainability
The watch is typically repairable with options available via the support site. The battery is rated to retain at least 90% of its initial capacity after two years of weekly charging. The watch does not contain any reused materials. Garmin offers recycling schemes on recent purchases.
Cost
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 begin from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Conclusion
This Fenix 8 Pro builds on a excellent adventure watch in the regular Fenix 8 and adds LTE for messaging, calls and LiveTrack – along with satellite communication, check-in and emergency SOS for when you’re without signal.
Outcome is an even more remarkable outdoor device for those that want to be phone-free. If you want to have someone keep an eye on you from afar while running out at night or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin does so without requiring additional gear.
This is quite liberating to be outside without a phone, but that functionality comes at a significant price, both in terms of the colossal cost of the watch and the recurring fee of the inReach service to enable the service. At least it isn’t reliant on your phone carrier so functions with any brand of smartphone and carrier.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier device for someone who hates being weighed down by their phone when jogging, biking or hiking, but still wants to be trackable and reachable. For other users, it is a significant expense when the superb Fenix 8 already exists.
Pros: LTE and satellite communication, high-luminance OLED display, tracks all activities with best-in-class GPS, built-in flashlight, voice and standalone voice control, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, complete offline mapping and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre underwater use, physical controls and touch.
Drawbacks: very costly, LTE and satellite features need monthly payment, limited Garmin Pay financial support, voice capabilities are slow, limited smartwatch features compared with Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
