This latest iteration of the flagship Fenix adventure watch includes a potentially lifesaving feature: no-phone messaging and emergency messaging using 4G LTE or orbital connections.
The Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the previously impressive Fenix 8 by adding cutting-edge mobile technology, along with an available state-of-the-art microLED screen in a special edition. It is the brand's premier model and designed to be the single tool required to venture virtually anywhere and track every activity.
That positions it as an extremely pricey proposition, 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 variant with microLED display – nearly double the cost of the regular Fenix 8.
Users receive a significant functionality for your money, with best-in-class workout, activity and outdoor tracking. Its complete offline mapping of the world can seamlessly direct you return to the trail if you get lost without a phone, and look great on the sizable, sharp and high-luminance touchscreen.
This Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively offered in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, not the more compact 43mm version found in other models, so it is a large watch for bigger wrists. But the 47mm OLED version as tested does have an extra day of smartwatch battery life even with the display on all the time, enduring a reliable eight to nine days between charges.
Phone-Free Messaging, Calls and Real-Time Location
The company uses its own inReach LTE (4G) and satellite service plan instead of relying on a watch plan linked to your mobile provider, as with other wearables. However unlike Apple or Google's satellite-enabled products, emergency messaging is not included for no cost.
Instead, subscriptions begin from £7.99 or similar a month, which includes unlimited LTE SMS and audio messaging, calls and LiveTrack position tracking – so your contacts or loved ones can monitor you while out running, biking or comparable pursuits – plus SOS orbital SOS alerts.
Check-ins and texts over satellite are then charged additionally, with higher-tier plans offering different allowances of orbital use, increasing to a £50 a month unlimited plan. The watch comes with a 30-day trial period so you can evaluate the functionality.
After you have completed setup, you just head out outside without your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You can not use it for playing music or similar tasks, but you are able to make and take calls, dispatch texts and generally stay connected with your family and companions.
Whenever you text someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a arbitrary phone number, which they can respond to back to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger application, you can then communicate back and forth via typed or spoken communications, and initiate voice calls. Your recipient is not required to have a Garmin profile to use the Messenger application, only a phone number is sufficient to register for texts.
Messaging on the watch functions adequately but composing texts on the small on-screen keyboard is slow. It has a collection of personalizable pre-set replies you can use to speed things up. Spoken recordings and calls work OK, though as with most smartwatches, you’re not going to wish to use it for extended conversations as the audio clarity is not fantastic.
LiveTrack is the most useful feature. You can configure to automatically transmit a link to selected contacts every time you begin an activity, so they can track your live position on a map. It’s excellent for monitoring competition performance, but it primarily serves as a utility for someone you trust to be aware of your whereabouts in case an incident occurs. It has typically worked effectively, although the real position has occasionally been delayed when transitioning in and out of good LTE signal.
All of these features are available on other Garmin devices 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, location check-ins and SOS SOS.
A guide displays you how to find the line of sight to the satellite, which then sends and receives messages within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was unexpectedly easy to use and could be a vital safety feature, however it is important to remember that satellite coverage is restricted to the US continent, the majority of Canada, and the majority of Europe except for regions of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees latitude.
Environmental Impact
The watch is typically serviceable with services offered via the customer service portal. The battery is rated to retain at least 90% of its original capacity after two years of regular charging. The watch lacks any recycled materials. 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 optional Garmin inReach service packages begin from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Verdict
This Fenix 8 Pro builds on a fantastic outdoor watch in the standard Fenix 8 and adds LTE for texting, calls and LiveTrack – plus orbital messaging, check-in and emergency SOS for when you’re out of coverage.
The result is an increasingly remarkable outdoor device for those that desire to be phone-free. If you want to have someone monitor you remotely while exercising out at night or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin accomplishes this without requiring anything else.
It is very liberating to be outdoors without a phone, but that functionality carries quite a price, both in terms of the colossal cost of the watch and the monthly subscription of the inReach service to provide the features. Fortunately it isn’t dependent on your phone carrier so functions with any brand of smartphone and carrier.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a killer device for someone who dislikes being weighed down by their phone when running, biking or hiking, but still wants to be locatable and reachable. For everyone else, it is a significant expense when the excellent Fenix 8 already exists.
Advantages: LTE and satellite messaging, high-luminance OLED screen, monitors all activities with premier GPS, built-in flashlight, voice and standalone commands, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, full offline mapping and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre diving, physical controls and touch.
Cons: very costly, LTE and orbital functions need ongoing subscription, limited Garmin Pay financial compatibility, voice capabilities are sluggish, basic smartwatch functionality compared with competing watches.
