The newest version of the premium Fenix outdoor timepiece includes a potentially lifesaving capability: no-phone messaging and emergency alerts using 4G LTE or satellite connections.
This Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the previously impressive Fenix 8 by adding new mobile tech, plus an available state-of-the-art microLED display in a special edition. This is the brand's top device and designed to be the only gadget needed to explore almost any location and track every activity.
This makes it 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 variant with microLED display – almost twice the price of the standard Fenix 8.
Users receive a significant functionality for your money, with industry-leading fitness, activity and adventure monitoring. Its complete offline maps of the globe can seamlessly guide you back to the trail if you get lost without a phone, and look great on the sizable, sharp and super-bright display.
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 version as reviewed does have an additional day of smartwatch battery life even with the display on all the time, enduring a reliable eight to nine days between charges.
No-Phone Texting, Calling and Live Tracking
Garmin uses its own inReach LTE (4G) and satellite service plan instead of depending on a watch plan tied to your mobile provider, like other smartwatches. However unlike Apple or Google's satellite-capable devices, emergency communication is not provided for no cost.
Instead, plans begin from £7.99 or similar a month, which provides unlimited LTE SMS and audio messages, calls and LiveTrack location sharing – so your friends or loved ones can keep an eye on you while engaged in running, biking or similar activities – along with SOS orbital SOS messaging.
Check-ins and messages via orbital are then billed additionally, with higher-tier subscriptions including various quotas of orbital use, increasing to a £50 a month unlimited subscription. The watch includes a 30-day free trial so you can test out the functionality.
Once you have got it set up, you simply venture outside without your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You cannot use it for playing music or comparable activities, but you are able to place and receive calls, dispatch texts and generally stay connected with your relatives and friends.
Whenever you text someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a arbitrary number, which they can respond to directly to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger app, you can then message back and forth using text or spoken communications, and initiate voice calls. Your contact does not need a Garmin profile to use the Messenger application, just a mobile number is enough to register for texts.
Messaging on the watch works fine but typing out texts on the small on-screen keyboard is slow. It includes a collection of customisable canned responses you can use to speed things up. Spoken messages and calls work acceptably, although as with most wearables, you’re unlikely going to wish to use it for extended conversations as the quality is not fantastic.
LiveTrack is the most useful function. You can configure to automatically transmit a URL to selected contacts every time you begin an exercise, so they can track your live position on a map. It’s excellent for following competition performance, but it mostly acts as a tool for someone you trust to know your whereabouts in case something happens. It has typically functioned well, though the real location has occasionally lagged when transitioning in and out of strong 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 orbital activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, position check-ins and SOS SOS.
A guide shows you how to find 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 lifeline, however it is essential to remember that orbital service is limited to the US mainland, most of Canada, and the majority of Europe excluding parts of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees north.
Environmental Impact
The watch is generally serviceable with options available through the support site. The battery is rated to maintain at least 90% of its original power after two years of weekly charging. The watch lacks any recycled components. Garmin provides recycling programs on recent purchases.
Cost
This Fenix 8 Pro is priced from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The optional Garmin inReach service packages begin from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Verdict
The Fenix 8 Pro builds on a fantastic adventure watch in the regular Fenix 8 and adds LTE for messaging, calls and LiveTrack – plus satellite communication, location update and emergency SOS for when you’re out of coverage.
The result is an increasingly remarkable outdoor device for those that want to be phone-free. If you wish to have someone keep an eye on you from afar while running after dark or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin accomplishes this without requiring anything else.
This is quite freeing to be outdoors without a phone, but that capability comes at a significant price, both in terms of the colossal cost of the watch and the monthly subscription of the inReach service to enable the service. At least it isn’t reliant on your phone provider so functions with all make of smartphone and network.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier gadget for someone who dislikes being weighed down by their phone when jogging, biking or hiking, but nevertheless desires to be locatable and contactable. For other users, it is a lot of expense when the superb Fenix 8 already exists.
Pros: LTE and satellite communication, high-luminance OLED screen, tracks all activities with premier GPS, integrated flashlight, phone and standalone voice control, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, complete offline maps and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre underwater use, buttons and touch.
Drawbacks: extremely expensive, LTE and satellite features need ongoing payment, limited Garmin Pay financial compatibility, voice capabilities are sluggish, basic wearable features versus Apple/Google/Samsung watches.