This newest iteration of Garmin's flagship Fenix adventure timepiece includes a potentially lifesaving capability: phone-free communication and SOS alerts using 4G LTE or satellite links.
This Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the already outstanding Fenix 8 by adding new cellular tech, plus an available state-of-the-art microLED display in a limited edition. It is the brand's top model and designed to be the only gadget required to explore virtually any location and monitor every activity.
This makes it an extremely 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 display – almost double the cost of the regular Fenix 8.
You do get a significant features for your investment, with best-in-class workout, movement and outdoor tracking. The full offline mapping of the world can automatically guide you return to the path if you get lost without a phone, and look great on the sizable, sharp and super-bright display.
The Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively offered in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, not the more compact 43mm version found in other models, so it is a large watch for bigger wrists. However the 47mm OLED model as reviewed does have an additional day of smartwatch battery life even with the screen on all the time, lasting a solid eight to nine days between charges.
No-Phone Messaging, Calling and Live Tracking
The company uses its own inReach LTE (4G) and satellite service plan rather than depending on a watch plan tied to your phone carrier, as with other smartwatches. However unlike competing satellite-enabled devices, emergency messaging is not provided for free.
Instead, plans start at £7.99 or similar a month, which includes limitless LTE SMS and voice messaging, call functionality and LiveTrack location sharing – so your friends or family can monitor you while out running, biking or comparable pursuits – along with emergency satellite SOS messaging.
Check-ins and messages via orbital are then billed additionally, with higher-tier plans offering various quotas of orbital usage, increasing to a £50 a month all-inclusive subscription. The watch comes with a 30-day free trial so you can test out the service.
After you have got it set up, you simply head out the door without your phone and the watch will link to LTE. You can not use it for streaming music or similar tasks, but you can make and take calls, dispatch texts and generally stay connected with your relatives and companions.
When you text someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a random phone number, which they can reply to directly to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger app, you can then communicate reciprocally via typed or spoken communications, and make voice calls. Your contact does not need a Garmin profile to use the Messenger application, just a mobile number is sufficient to sign up for texts.
Messaging on the watch functions fine but composing texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is slow. It has a set of personalizable canned responses you can send to speed things up. Voice messages and calls work OK, though as with the majority of smartwatches, you’re not going to wish to use it for extended conversations as the quality is not ideal.
LiveTrack is the most useful feature. You can configure to on its own transmit a URL to chosen contacts whenever you begin an exercise, so they can track your real time location on a map. It’s great for following competition performance, but it primarily serves as a tool for someone you trust to know your location in case something happens. It has generally functioned effectively, though the actual location has occasionally been delayed when transitioning in and out of good LTE coverage.
All of these capabilities are accessible on other Garmin devices if you bring your phone with you, but in locations where LTE does not reach, the satellite activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, location check-ins and emergency SOS.
A on-screen assistance displays you how to find the line of sight to the orbital system, which then sends and receives communications within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was surprisingly straightforward to use and could be a crucial lifeline, though it is essential to note that satellite coverage is restricted to the US continent, the majority of Canada, and most of Europe except for regions of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees latitude.
Environmental Impact
The watch is generally repairable with services offered 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 components. Garmin offers recycling schemes on new 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 cost from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Conclusion
This Fenix 8 Pro builds on a excellent outdoor 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 without signal.
The result is an even more impressive outdoor device for those that want to be phone-free. If you want to have someone keep an eye on you from afar while exercising after dark or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin does so without needing anything else.
It is very freeing to be outside without a phone, but that capability comes at a significant price, both in terms of the colossal price of the watch and the monthly subscription of the inReach service to enable the features. At least it isn’t reliant on your phone provider so functions with all brand of smartphone and carrier.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier gadget for someone who dislikes being burdened by their phone when jogging, cycling or hiking, but nevertheless desires to be locatable and reachable. For everyone else, it is a lot of money when the excellent Fenix 8 is already available.
Pros: LTE and satellite messaging, super-bright OLED display, monitors everything with premier GPS, built-in flashlight, voice and standalone commands, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, complete offline mapping and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre underwater use, buttons and touch.
Drawbacks: extremely expensive, LTE and satellite features require monthly subscription, restricted Garmin Pay financial support, speech features are slow, basic smartwatch features compared with competing watches.
