This most recent version of the flagship Fenix adventure timepiece includes a life-saving feature: phone-free communication and SOS alerts using 4G LTE or orbital links.
The Fenix 8 Pro enhances the already outstanding Fenix 8 by incorporating cutting-edge cellular tech, along with an available state-of-the-art microLED display in a special edition. It is the brand's premier device and designed to be the only gadget needed to venture virtually anywhere 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 substantial £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm variant with microLED screen – almost double the cost of the regular Fenix 8.
Users get a lot of features for your money, with industry-leading workout, movement and adventure tracking. The full offline mapping of the world can seamlessly guide you return to the trail if you lose your way without a phone, and appear excellent on the large, crisp and high-luminance display.
The Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively available in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, not the more compact 43mm version found in other devices, so it is a big watch for bigger wrists. But the 47mm OLED version as tested boasts an extra day of smartwatch battery life despite the display on all the time, enduring a reliable eight to nine days between charges.
No-Phone Messaging, Calls and Real-Time Location
Garmin uses its own inReach LTE (4G) and orbital subscription service rather than relying on a watch plan tied to your phone carrier, like other smartwatches. But in contrast to Apple or Google's satellite-enabled products, emergency communication is not provided for no cost.
Instead, subscriptions begin from £7.99 or similar a month, which includes unlimited LTE SMS and voice messaging, calls and LiveTrack position sharing – so your friends or family can keep an eye on you while out jogging, cycling or comparable activities – along with emergency orbital SOS messaging.
Location updates and texts via satellite are then charged additionally, with more expensive subscriptions including different allowances of orbital use, climbing to a £50 a month all-inclusive plan. The watch comes with a 30-day free trial so you can test out the functionality.
After you have completed setup, you just head out outside minus 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 stay connected with your relatives and companions.
Whenever you text someone, Garmin sends them an SMS from a arbitrary phone number, which they can reply to back to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger application, you can then communicate reciprocally using typed or spoken communications, and make voice calls. Your recipient is not required to have a Garmin profile to use the Messenger application, only a mobile number is enough to register for texts.
Texting on the watch works adequately but typing out texts on the small on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It has a set of customisable canned replies you can send to expedite communication. Spoken recordings and calls work OK, though as with most wearables, 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 automatically transmit a link to selected contacts every time you start an activity, so they can follow your live location on a map. It’s great for monitoring race performance, but it mostly serves as a utility for someone you trust to know your location in case an incident occurs. It has generally worked effectively, although the actual position has sometimes lagged when moving in and out of strong LTE signal.
All of these features are accessible on other Garmin devices 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 check-ins and emergency SOS.
A on-screen assistance shows you how to locate the clear view to the satellite, which then transmits and gets communications within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was unexpectedly easy to use and could be a crucial safety feature, though it is essential to remember that satellite service is restricted to the US mainland, the majority of Canada, and most of Europe except for parts of Scandinavia above 65 degrees latitude.
Sustainability
The watch is typically serviceable with options available via the customer service portal. The battery is certified to retain at least 90% of its original power after two years of regular charging. The watch does not contain any recycled components. Garmin provides recycling programs on new purchases.
Price
This Fenix 8 Pro costs 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
This Fenix 8 Pro takes a excellent outdoor watch in the standard Fenix 8 and adds LTE for texting, call functionality and LiveTrack – plus orbital messaging, check-in and emergency SOS for when you’re without signal.
The result is an increasingly impressive adventure device for those that desire to be phone-free. If you wish to have someone monitor you remotely while exercising after dark 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 capability carries quite a cost, both in terms of the colossal cost of the watch and the monthly fee of the inReach service to provide the service. At least it isn’t reliant on your phone carrier so functions with any make of smartphone and carrier.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier gadget for someone who hates being burdened by their phone when jogging, cycling or hiking, but still wants to be trackable and contactable. For other users, it is a lot of expense when the excellent Fenix 8 already exists.
Pros: LTE and orbital messaging, super-bright OLED display, tracks everything with premier GPS, integrated flashlight, phone and standalone commands, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, full offline maps and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre diving, physical controls and touch.
Drawbacks: very expensive, LTE and satellite functions need monthly subscription, limited Garmin Pay bank support, speech capabilities are slow, limited wearable functionality versus competing watches.
