This most recent iteration of the top-tier Fenix outdoor watch includes a life-saving feature: no-phone messaging and emergency messaging via 4G LTE or orbital links.
This Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the already outstanding Fenix 8 by incorporating new mobile tech, along with an available advanced microLED screen in a limited edition. This is Garmin's premier device and engineered to be the single gadget required to explore almost anywhere and track every activity.
This positions it as an very pricey option, priced from £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED model and reaching a colossal £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm edition with microLED display – nearly double the price of the standard Fenix 8.
You do receive a significant features for your money, with best-in-class workout, movement and adventure monitoring. The complete offline mapping of the globe can automatically direct you return to the path if you get lost absent a phone, and appear great on the large, crisp and super-bright touchscreen.
The Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively available in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, omitting the more compact 43mm version found in other devices, so it is a big watch for bigger wrists. But the 47mm OLED model as reviewed boasts an extra day of watch battery life despite the display always active, lasting a solid eight to nine days between charges.
No-Phone Texting, Calls and Live Tracking
Garmin operates its own inReach LTE (4G) and satellite subscription plan rather than relying on a watch plan linked to your mobile carrier, like other wearables. However in contrast to competing satellite-capable devices, SOS messaging is not provided for no cost.
Rather, plans start at £7.99 or equivalent a month, which provides unlimited LTE SMS and audio messaging, call functionality and LiveTrack position tracking – so your friends or loved ones can monitor you while out jogging, biking or similar pursuits – along with SOS orbital SOS alerts.
Check-ins and messages via satellite are then billed additionally, with more expensive subscriptions including different allowances of satellite usage, increasing to a £50 a month unlimited plan. The watch comes with a 30-day trial period so you can test out the service.
After you have got it set up, you simply venture outside minus your phone and the watch will link to LTE. You can not use it for streaming music or comparable activities, but you are able to place and receive calls, dispatch texts and overall keep in touch with your relatives and friends.
When you message someone, Garmin sends them an SMS from a random number, which they can reply to back to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger application, you can then communicate reciprocally via typed or spoken communications, and initiate voice calls. Your recipient does not need a Garmin account to use the Messenger application, just a mobile number is enough to register for texts.
Messaging on the watch functions adequately but composing texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is slow. It includes a collection of personalizable canned responses you can use to expedite communication. Voice messages and calls perform acceptably, though as with the majority of smartwatches, you’re unlikely going to want to use it for extended conversations as the quality is not fantastic.
LiveTrack is the most useful feature. You can configure to on its own transmit a URL to chosen contacts every time you begin an activity, so they can track your live location on a map. It’s great for following race progress, but it primarily acts as a utility for someone you trust to be aware of your location in case an incident occurs. It has generally functioned well, though the actual location has occasionally lagged when moving in and out of strong LTE coverage.
These features are accessible on other Garmin watches if you carry your phone with you, but in areas where LTE lacks coverage, the satellite kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, position check-ins and emergency SOS.
A guide shows you how to locate the line of sight to the satellite, which then transmits and gets messages within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was surprisingly straightforward to use and could be a crucial lifeline, though it is important to remember that satellite coverage is restricted to the US continent, the majority of Canada, and most of Europe excluding regions of Scandinavia above 65 degrees north.
Environmental Impact
The watch is typically repairable with services offered via the customer service site. The battery is certified to maintain at least 90% of its original power after two years of regular charging. The watch does not contain any reused components. Garmin provides disposal schemes on new 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 service plans begin from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Conclusion
The Fenix 8 Pro takes a excellent outdoor watch in the standard Fenix 8 and adds LTE for texting, calls and LiveTrack – plus orbital messaging, location update and emergency SOS for when you’re without signal.
The result is an even more impressive adventure device for those that want to be unplugged. If you wish to have someone keep an eye on you from afar while exercising out at night or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin does so without requiring anything else.
It is very freeing to be outdoors without a phone, but that functionality carries a significant price, both in terms of the colossal cost of the watch and the recurring subscription of the inReach service to enable the features. At least it isn’t reliant on your phone carrier so works with any make of smartphone and network.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier gadget for someone who hates being weighed down by their phone when running, biking or hiking, but still wants to be trackable and contactable. For everyone else, it is a significant money when the excellent Fenix 8 already exists.
Advantages: LTE and satellite messaging, high-luminance OLED display, tracks everything with premier GPS, integrated flashlight, voice and standalone voice control, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, complete offline mapping and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre diving, buttons and touchscreen.
Drawbacks: extremely expensive, LTE and orbital features require ongoing subscription, limited Garmin Pay financial compatibility, speech features are sluggish, basic wearable functionality compared with competing watches.
