This latest model of the flagship Fenix outdoor timepiece brings a life-saving capability: no-phone messaging and SOS messaging via 4G LTE or orbital connections.
The Fenix 8 Pro enhances the previously impressive Fenix 8 by incorporating new mobile tech, plus an available advanced microLED screen in a special edition. This is the brand's top model and designed to be the single gadget required to venture virtually any location and monitor all your movements.
That positions it as an very pricey proposition, priced from £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED version and reaching a colossal £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm edition with microLED display – almost twice the cost of the regular Fenix 8.
You do receive a significant functionality for your investment, with industry-leading workout, activity and adventure tracking. The full offline mapping of the world can seamlessly guide you back to the path if you lose your way without a phone, and appear great on the large, crisp and high-luminance touchscreen.
The Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively available in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, omitting the more compact 43mm size available in other devices, so it is a large watch for bigger wrists. However the 47mm OLED version as reviewed boasts an additional day of smartwatch battery life even with the screen always active, enduring a solid eight to nine days between charging.
No-Phone Texting, Calling and Real-Time Location
Garmin uses its own inReach LTE (4G) and satellite subscription plan instead of relying on a watch plan linked to your mobile carrier, as with other smartwatches. However unlike Apple or Google's satellite-capable devices, SOS messaging is not included for free.
Rather, plans start at £7.99 or equivalent a month, which provides unlimited LTE text and voice messages, calls and LiveTrack position sharing – so your contacts or family can keep an eye on you while out running, biking or comparable activities – along with emergency orbital SOS alerts.
Check-ins and messages via orbital are then charged on top, with higher-tier plans offering different allowances of orbital use, increasing to a £50 a month unlimited subscription. The watch comes with a 30-day free trial so you can evaluate the service.
After you have completed setup, you simply head out the door minus your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You can not use it for streaming music or similar tasks, but you can place and receive calls, send texts and overall stay connected with your relatives and friends.
Whenever you text someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a random number, which they can reply to directly to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger application, you can then communicate back and forth via typed or spoken messages, and initiate voice calls. Your contact is not required to have a Garmin profile to use the Messenger application, 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 time-consuming. It includes a set of personalizable canned responses you can send to speed things up. Voice messages and calls work acceptably, although as with most wearables, you’re unlikely going to wish to use it for extended conversations as the audio clarity is less than fantastic.
LiveTrack is the most useful function. You can configure to on its own send a link to selected contacts every time you start an activity, so they can track your real time location on a map. It’s great for monitoring race progress, but it mostly serves as a utility for someone you rely on to know your location in case something happens. It has typically worked effectively, although the real location has sometimes been delayed when transitioning in and out of good LTE signal.
All of these capabilities are available on other Garmin devices if you bring your phone with you, but in areas where LTE lacks coverage, the orbital kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, location updates and emergency 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 straightforward to use and could be a crucial safety feature, however it is important to remember that orbital service is limited to the US mainland, the majority of Canada, and the majority of Europe excluding regions of Scandinavia above 65 degrees latitude.
Environmental Impact
The watch is typically serviceable with options available via the customer service portal. The battery is certified to retain at least 90% of its initial capacity after two years of regular charging. The watch does not contain any recycled materials. Garmin provides disposal programs on new 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 service packages begin from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Conclusion
The Fenix 8 Pro builds on a fantastic outdoor watch in the regular Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for messaging, calls and LiveTrack – along with orbital communication, check-in and emergency SOS for when you’re without coverage.
The result is an even more impressive outdoor tool for those that want to be unplugged. If you wish to have someone monitor you from afar while running out at night or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin does so without needing anything else.
It is very freeing to be outdoors without a phone, but that functionality comes at quite a cost, both in terms of the substantial price of the watch and the recurring fee of the inReach service to provide the features. Fortunately it is not reliant on your phone carrier so functions with any brand of smartphone and carrier.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a killer gadget for someone who dislikes being burdened by their phone when running, biking or trekking, but still wants to be locatable and reachable. For other users, it is a lot of 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, integrated flashlight, voice and standalone voice control, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, complete offline mapping and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre diving, physical controls and touch.
Cons: very expensive, LTE and satellite features require ongoing payment, limited Garmin Pay financial compatibility, speech capabilities are slow, limited smartwatch functionality compared with competing watches.