This latest iteration of the premium Fenix adventure watch includes a life-saving feature: no-phone messaging and emergency messaging using 4G LTE or orbital links.
The Fenix 8 Pro enhances the previously outstanding Fenix 8 by incorporating new cellular technology, along with an available state-of-the-art microLED display in a limited edition. It is Garmin's premier device and designed to be the only gadget required to venture virtually anywhere and track all your movements.
That positions it as an very pricey option, starting at £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 display – nearly twice the price of the regular Fenix 8.
Users receive a significant functionality for your investment, with industry-leading fitness, movement and adventure monitoring. Its full offline maps of the world can automatically direct you back to the trail if you lose your way absent a phone, and appear excellent on the sizable, crisp and super-bright display.
This Fenix 8 Pro is only available in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, omitting the smaller 43mm size available 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, enduring a solid eight to nine days between charging.
Phone-Free Texting, Calling and Real-Time Location
Garmin uses its own inReach LTE (4G) and satellite service plan rather than depending on a watch plan linked to your phone provider, as with other wearables. However in contrast to competing satellite-capable products, SOS communication is not provided for no cost.
Instead, plans start at £7.99 or similar a month, which provides limitless LTE SMS and audio messages, call functionality and LiveTrack position tracking – so your friends or family can monitor you while engaged in jogging, biking or comparable pursuits – along with emergency orbital SOS messaging.
Location updates and messages via satellite are then charged additionally, with more expensive subscriptions offering different allowances of satellite use, increasing to a £50 a month unlimited subscription. The watch includes a 30-day trial period so you can evaluate the functionality.
After you have got it set up, you simply head out outside without your phone and the watch will link to LTE. You can not use it for playing music or comparable tasks, but you can make and take calls, send texts and overall keep in touch with your relatives and friends.
Whenever you message someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a arbitrary phone number, which they can reply to directly to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger app, you can then message reciprocally via typed or spoken messages, and initiate voice calls. Your contact does not need a Garmin profile to use the Messenger app, just a phone number is sufficient to register for texts.
Texting on the watch works adequately but typing out texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is slow. It includes a collection of personalizable pre-set replies you can send to expedite communication. Voice recordings and calls work OK, although as with the majority of wearables, you’re not going to want to use it for extended conversations as the audio clarity is less than fantastic.
LiveTrack is the most useful function. You can configure to automatically transmit a link to selected contacts whenever you begin an exercise, so they can follow your live position on a map. It’s excellent for monitoring competition progress, but it mostly acts as a utility for someone you trust to know your whereabouts in case something happens. It has generally worked effectively, though the actual location has sometimes lagged when transitioning in and out of good LTE coverage.
These capabilities are accessible on other Garmin devices if you bring your phone with you, but in locations where LTE lacks coverage, the orbital activates 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 orbital system, which then transmits and gets messages within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was surprisingly straightforward to use and could be a crucial lifeline, however it is important to remember that orbital service is limited to the US mainland, the majority of Canada, and the majority of Europe excluding regions of Scandinavia above 65 degrees latitude.
Sustainability
The watch is typically serviceable with options offered via the customer service portal. The battery is certified to maintain at least 90% of its initial power after two years of weekly charging. The watch lacks any reused materials. Garmin provides recycling programs on recent purchases.
Price
The Fenix 8 Pro is priced from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The optional Garmin inReach subscription packages begin from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Verdict
This Fenix 8 Pro takes a fantastic adventure watch in the standard Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for messaging, calls and LiveTrack – plus satellite communication, check-in and emergency SOS for when you’re without coverage.
The result is an increasingly impressive adventure tool for those that want to be unplugged. If you wish to have someone monitor you from afar while running after dark or in the remote areas, the Garmin does so without needing additional gear.
It is quite liberating to be outside without a phone, but that functionality carries quite a cost, both in terms of the colossal cost of the watch and the recurring fee of the inReach service to provide the features. Fortunately it isn’t dependent on your phone provider so functions with any make of smartphone and network.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier gadget for someone who hates being weighed down by their phone when running, cycling or hiking, but nevertheless desires to be locatable and contactable. For other users, it is a lot of expense when the superb Fenix 8 already exists.
Pros: LTE and satellite messaging, super-bright OLED screen, monitors everything with best-in-class GPS, integrated flashlight, phone and standalone voice control, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, complete offline maps and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre underwater use, buttons and touch.
Drawbacks: very costly, LTE and orbital features require monthly subscription, restricted Garmin Pay financial support, voice features are slow, basic smartwatch features compared with Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
