This most recent iteration of the top-tier Fenix outdoor watch includes a potentially lifesaving feature: phone-free messaging and SOS alerts via 4G LTE or orbital links.
This Fenix 8 Pro builds upon the already outstanding Fenix 8 by incorporating cutting-edge cellular tech, along with an available state-of-the-art microLED screen in a special edition. It is the brand's top device and designed to be the single tool required to venture almost anywhere and monitor all your movements.
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 edition with microLED screen – nearly twice the cost of the regular Fenix 8.
You do get a lot of functionality for your money, with best-in-class fitness, activity and adventure monitoring. The full offline mapping of the globe can seamlessly direct you return to the path if you lose your way absent a phone, and appear great on the large, crisp and super-bright touchscreen.
This Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively offered in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, omitting the smaller 43mm size available in other models, so it is a large watch for bigger wrists. However the 47mm OLED model as reviewed boasts an additional day of watch battery life despite the display always active, enduring a reliable eight to nine days between charges.
No-Phone Messaging, Calling and Live Tracking
The company uses its own inReach LTE (4G) and satellite service service rather than depending on a watch plan linked to your mobile provider, as with other wearables. However unlike Apple or Google's satellite-capable devices, emergency messaging is not included for free.
Instead, plans start at £7.99 or similar a month, which includes limitless LTE text and audio messages, calls and LiveTrack position tracking – so your contacts or loved ones can monitor you while engaged in jogging, cycling or comparable activities – plus SOS satellite SOS alerts.
Location updates and texts over orbital are then charged on top, with higher-tier subscriptions including different allowances of orbital use, climbing to a £50 a month unlimited plan. The watch comes with a 30-day trial period so you can evaluate the service.
Once you have got it set up, you simply head out outside minus your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You cannot use it for streaming music or comparable activities, but you are able to make and take calls, dispatch texts and generally keep in touch with your relatives and friends.
When you text someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a arbitrary number, which they can reply to back to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger application, you can then message back and forth using typed or spoken communications, and initiate voice calls. Your recipient does not need a Garmin profile to use the Messenger application, just a mobile number is enough to register for texts.
Texting on the watch works adequately but typing out texts on the small on-screen keyboard is slow. It includes a collection of personalizable canned responses you can use to speed things up. Spoken recordings and calls work OK, although as with most wearables, you’re not going to want to use it for extended discussions as the quality is not fantastic.
LiveTrack is the most useful feature. You can configure to automatically send a link to chosen contacts every time you start an exercise, so they can track your real time location on a map. It’s excellent for following competition performance, but it mostly serves as a tool for someone you rely on to know your location in case an incident occurs. It has generally worked effectively, although the actual location has occasionally lagged when moving in and out of good LTE coverage.
All of these capabilities are available on other Garmin devices if you carry your phone with you, but in locations where LTE lacks coverage, the satellite kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, position check-ins and emergency SOS.
A guide displays you how to locate the clear view to the satellite, which then sends and receives communications within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was unexpectedly easy to use and could be a crucial safety feature, however it is essential to note that orbital service is limited to the US mainland, the majority of Canada, and the majority of Europe except for regions of Scandinavia above 65 degrees latitude.
Sustainability
The watch is typically repairable with services offered through the support site. The battery is certified to retain at least 90% of its original power after two years of regular charging. The watch lacks any recycled materials. Garmin provides disposal schemes on recent purchases.
Price
This Fenix 8 Pro is priced from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The optional Garmin inReach service plans begin from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Verdict
The Fenix 8 Pro takes a excellent outdoor watch in the standard Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for messaging, calls and LiveTrack – plus satellite messaging, check-in and SOS SOS for when you’re without coverage.
Outcome is an increasingly remarkable outdoor device for those that want to be unplugged. If you want to have someone keep an eye on you from afar while running after dark or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin does so without requiring additional gear.
This is very freeing 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 recurring fee of the inReach plan to provide the features. Fortunately it is not reliant on your phone provider so works with any brand of smartphone and carrier.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a killer gadget for someone who dislikes being weighed down by their phone when running, biking or trekking, but still wants to be locatable and contactable. For other users, it is a lot of expense when the excellent Fenix 8 is already available.
Pros: LTE and satellite communication, super-bright OLED screen, tracks everything with best-in-class GPS, built-in flashlight, phone and offline commands, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, complete offline maps and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre underwater use, physical controls and touchscreen.
Cons: extremely costly, LTE and orbital features need ongoing payment, restricted Garmin Pay financial compatibility, speech features are slow, limited smartwatch functionality compared with Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
