This newest model of the premium Fenix outdoor timepiece introduces a potentially lifesaving feature: phone-free messaging and SOS messaging using 4G LTE or orbital links.
The Fenix 8 Pro enhances the already impressive Fenix 8 by incorporating new mobile tech, plus an available advanced microLED screen in a special edition. This is the brand's premier model and designed to be the only tool required to venture virtually anywhere and track every activity.
This positions it as an very pricey 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 edition with microLED display – nearly double the cost of the regular Fenix 8.
You do receive a significant functionality for your money, with industry-leading workout, activity and adventure tracking. Its complete offline maps of the globe can seamlessly direct you return to the path if you lose your way without a phone, and appear great on the sizable, sharp and super-bright display.
This Fenix 8 Pro is only available in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, not the smaller 43mm size found in other devices, so it is a large watch for bigger wrists. However the 47mm OLED version as tested does have an extra day of smartwatch battery life despite the screen on all the time, enduring a reliable eight to nine days between charges.
No-Phone Texting, Calling and Live Tracking
The company uses its own inReach LTE (4G) and satellite subscription service rather than depending on a watch plan tied to your phone provider, like other wearables. But in contrast to Apple or Google's satellite-enabled devices, SOS communication is not included for free.
Rather, subscriptions begin from £7.99 or equivalent a month, which provides unlimited LTE text and voice messaging, calls and LiveTrack location sharing – so your contacts or family can keep an eye on you while engaged in jogging, biking or comparable pursuits – along with emergency orbital SOS messaging.
Check-ins and texts via satellite are then charged additionally, with higher-tier plans offering different quotas of satellite usage, climbing to a £50 a month unlimited subscription. The watch comes with a 30-day trial period so you can evaluate the service.
Once you have completed setup, you simply venture outside minus your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You cannot use it for playing music or similar activities, but you can make and take calls, send texts and overall stay connected with your relatives and friends.
When you text someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a arbitrary number, which they can respond to back to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger app, you can then message reciprocally using typed or voice messages, and make voice calls. Your recipient is not required to have a Garmin account to use the Messenger app, just a phone number is sufficient to sign up for texts.
Texting on the watch works adequately but composing texts on the small on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It includes a collection of personalizable pre-set replies you can use to expedite communication. Voice recordings and calls perform acceptably, though as with the majority of wearables, you’re unlikely going to want to use it for lengthy conversations as the quality is not fantastic.
LiveTrack is the most useful function. You can set it up to automatically transmit a URL to selected contacts whenever you start an activity, so they can follow your real time position 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 whereabouts in case an incident occurs. It has generally functioned well, though the actual location has occasionally lagged when moving in and out of good LTE coverage.
All of these capabilities are accessible on other Garmin watches if you carry your phone with you, but in locations where LTE does not reach, the orbital kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, location updates and emergency SOS.
A on-screen assistance shows you how to find the clear view to the orbital system, which then transmits and gets messages within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was unexpectedly straightforward to use and could be a crucial lifeline, however it is important to remember that satellite service is limited to the US continent, most of Canada, and most of Europe except for parts of Scandinavia above 65 degrees north.
Sustainability
The watch is generally repairable with services available through the customer service portal. The battery is rated to maintain at least 90% of its original capacity after two years of weekly charging. The watch does not contain any reused materials. Garmin provides recycling programs on recent purchases.
Cost
The Fenix 8 Pro is priced from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The additional Garmin inReach subscription packages cost from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Conclusion
The Fenix 8 Pro builds on a fantastic adventure watch in the regular Fenix 8 and adds LTE for texting, calls and LiveTrack – along with satellite messaging, check-in and SOS SOS for when you’re out of coverage.
Outcome is an increasingly remarkable outdoor device for those that desire to be unplugged. If you want to have someone monitor you remotely while running out at night or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin does so without needing anything else.
It is quite liberating to be outside without a phone, but that capability carries a significant cost, both in terms of the colossal cost of the watch and the monthly subscription of the inReach plan to enable the features. Fortunately it isn’t dependent on your phone carrier so functions with all make of smartphone and network.
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 locatable and contactable. For everyone else, it is a lot of money when the superb Fenix 8 is already available.
Advantages: LTE and satellite communication, super-bright OLED screen, monitors all activities with best-in-class GPS, integrated flashlight, phone and offline voice control, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, full offline mapping and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre underwater use, buttons and touchscreen.
Drawbacks: very costly, LTE and orbital functions require ongoing subscription, limited Garmin Pay bank support, voice features are slow, limited wearable functionality versus competing watches.
