This most recent version of the premium Fenix outdoor watch includes a potentially lifesaving feature: phone-free messaging and SOS alerts using 4G LTE or satellite connections.
This Fenix 8 Pro builds upon the previously impressive Fenix 8 by incorporating cutting-edge mobile tech, plus an optional state-of-the-art microLED display in a limited edition. This is Garmin's premier model and designed to be the only tool needed to venture virtually anywhere and monitor all your movements.
That makes it an extremely pricey option, priced from £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED version and climbing to a substantial £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm edition with microLED display – almost double the price of the regular Fenix 8.
Users receive a lot of functionality for your money, with industry-leading workout, movement and outdoor monitoring. The complete offline mapping of the globe can automatically direct you return to the path if you get lost without a phone, and look excellent on the large, crisp and high-luminance display.
The Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively available in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, not the smaller 43mm size found in other devices, so it is a big watch for bigger wrists. However the 47mm OLED model as tested does have an extra day of watch battery life despite the screen always active, lasting a solid eight to nine days between charges.
Phone-Free Messaging, Calls and Real-Time Location
The company operates its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and orbital subscription plan rather than depending on a watch plan tied to your mobile provider, as with other wearables. But unlike competing satellite-enabled products, emergency messaging is not included for no cost.
Rather, plans begin from £7.99 or equivalent a month, which includes unlimited LTE text and audio messages, calls and LiveTrack location sharing – so your friends or family can monitor you while engaged in jogging, biking or similar pursuits – along with SOS orbital SOS messaging.
Check-ins and texts over orbital are then billed additionally, with higher-tier plans offering various allowances of satellite usage, climbing to a £50 a month all-inclusive subscription. The watch includes a 30-day trial period so you can evaluate the service.
After you have got it set up, you simply venture the door without your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You can not use it for playing music or similar activities, but you are able to place and receive calls, dispatch texts and overall keep in touch with your relatives and friends.
Whenever you text someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a arbitrary number, which they can respond to back to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger application, you can then communicate back and forth via typed or voice messages, and initiate voice calls. Your contact is not required to have a Garmin profile to use the Messenger app, only a mobile number is enough to register for texts.
Texting on the watch works fine but typing out texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is slow. It has a collection of customisable canned responses you can send to expedite communication. Spoken recordings and calls perform OK, though as with most smartwatches, you’re unlikely going to want to use it for extended conversations as the audio clarity is not ideal.
LiveTrack is the handiest function. You can set it up to on its own send a URL to selected contacts every time you start an activity, so they can track your live position on a map. It’s great for monitoring competition performance, but it mostly serves as a tool for someone you trust to know your whereabouts in case an incident occurs. It has generally functioned well, although the actual position has sometimes lagged when transitioning in and out of good LTE signal.
These capabilities are available on other Garmin devices if you carry your phone with you, but in locations where LTE lacks coverage, the orbital kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, location check-ins and emergency SOS.
A on-screen assistance displays you how to locate the line of sight to the orbital system, which then transmits and gets communications within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was surprisingly easy to use and could be a crucial safety feature, though it is essential to note that satellite coverage is restricted to the US continent, most of Canada, and most of Europe except for regions of Scandinavia above 65 degrees north.
Sustainability
The watch is generally serviceable with services offered via the customer service portal. The battery is certified to retain at least 90% of its original power after two years of weekly charging. The watch does not contain any recycled components. Garmin provides recycling programs on recent purchases.
Price
The Fenix 8 Pro costs from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The additional Garmin inReach service plans begin from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Conclusion
The Fenix 8 Pro builds on a excellent adventure watch in the standard Fenix 8 and adds LTE for messaging, call functionality and LiveTrack – along with orbital communication, location update and SOS SOS for when you’re out of coverage.
The result is an even more impressive outdoor tool for those that desire to be phone-free. If you wish to have someone keep an eye on you from afar while exercising after dark or in the remote areas, the Garmin does so without requiring anything else.
It is quite liberating to be outdoors without a phone, but that functionality carries quite a price, both in terms of the substantial cost of the watch and the monthly fee of the inReach service to provide the features. Fortunately it isn’t dependent on your phone carrier so works with any make of smartphone and carrier.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier gadget for someone who hates being weighed down by their phone when running, biking or hiking, but nevertheless desires to be locatable and reachable. For everyone else, it is a significant money when the excellent Fenix 8 already exists.
Advantages: LTE and orbital communication, super-bright OLED screen, tracks all activities with best-in-class GPS, integrated flashlight, voice and standalone voice control, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, complete offline maps and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre underwater use, physical controls and touch.
Cons: extremely expensive, LTE and satellite features require ongoing payment, restricted Garmin Pay bank support, speech features are sluggish, basic smartwatch functionality compared with competing watches.
