The newest iteration of the flagship Fenix outdoor timepiece includes a life-saving feature: no-phone messaging and SOS alerts via 4G LTE or satellite connections.
This Fenix 8 Pro enhances the previously impressive Fenix 8 by incorporating new mobile technology, along with an available state-of-the-art microLED display in a special edition. This is the brand's top model and engineered to be the single gadget required to explore virtually any location and track all your movements.
That positions it as an very expensive 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 edition with microLED screen – almost twice the cost of the regular Fenix 8.
Users get a lot of functionality for your investment, with industry-leading fitness, movement and adventure tracking. Its complete offline mapping of the globe can seamlessly guide you return to the path if you lose your way absent a phone, and look great on the large, sharp and high-luminance display.
This Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively available in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, omitting the smaller 43mm version found in other models, so it is a large watch for larger wrists. But the 47mm OLED version as reviewed does have an extra day of smartwatch battery life despite the screen on all the time, enduring a reliable eight to nine days between charges.
No-Phone Messaging, Calling and Live Tracking
Garmin operates its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and satellite subscription service instead of relying on a watch plan linked to your mobile carrier, as with other wearables. But unlike Apple or Google's satellite-capable products, SOS communication is not included for no cost.
Rather, plans start at £7.99 or similar a month, which includes unlimited LTE SMS and audio messages, calls and LiveTrack position sharing – so your friends or loved ones can keep an eye on you while engaged in jogging, cycling or similar pursuits – along with emergency satellite SOS messaging.
Check-ins and messages via orbital are then billed additionally, with more expensive subscriptions offering different allowances of satellite use, climbing to a £50 a month unlimited plan. The watch includes a 30-day free trial so you can evaluate the functionality.
Once you have completed setup, you simply venture outside minus your phone and the watch will link to LTE. You cannot use it for streaming music or similar tasks, but you can place and receive calls, dispatch texts and overall stay connected with your relatives and companions.
Whenever you text someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a random phone number, which they can respond to back to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger app, you can then message back and forth using text or spoken communications, and initiate voice calls. Your contact is not required to have a Garmin profile to use the Messenger application, only a mobile number is sufficient to sign up for texts.
Texting on the watch works adequately but composing texts on the small on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It includes a collection of personalizable canned replies you can send to expedite communication. Voice recordings and calls work acceptably, though as with the majority of smartwatches, you’re not going to wish to use it for lengthy conversations as the audio clarity is not ideal.
LiveTrack is the handiest feature. You can set it up to automatically transmit a link to chosen contacts every time you start an exercise, so they can track your live location on a map. It’s great for monitoring race performance, but it mostly acts as a tool for someone you trust to know your location in case something happens. It has typically worked well, though the actual location has sometimes lagged when transitioning in and out of good LTE coverage.
All of these features are available on other Garmin watches if you carry your phone with you, but in locations where LTE lacks coverage, the orbital activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, location check-ins and SOS SOS.
A on-screen assistance displays you how to locate the clear view to the orbital system, which then sends and receives messages within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was surprisingly easy to use and could be a vital safety feature, however it is important to remember that orbital coverage is limited to the US continent, the majority of Canada, and most of Europe excluding regions of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees latitude.
Sustainability
The watch is typically serviceable with options offered through the support portal. The battery is rated to retain at least 90% of its initial power after two years of regular charging. The watch lacks any reused materials. Garmin provides recycling schemes 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 service packages begin from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Conclusion
This Fenix 8 Pro builds on a excellent adventure watch in the regular Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for texting, calls and LiveTrack – along with orbital messaging, check-in and SOS SOS for when you’re without signal.
Outcome is an increasingly remarkable adventure tool for those that want to be unplugged. 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 quite liberating to be outside without a phone, but that capability carries quite a cost, both in terms of the colossal price of the watch and the recurring fee of the inReach plan to provide the service. Fortunately it is not reliant on your phone carrier so works with all brand of smartphone and network.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a killer device for someone who hates being weighed down by their phone when running, cycling or hiking, but nevertheless desires to be trackable and contactable. For other users, it is a significant expense when the excellent Fenix 8 is already available.
Pros: LTE and orbital messaging, super-bright OLED display, monitors everything with best-in-class GPS, built-in torch, phone and offline voice control, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, full offline maps and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre underwater use, buttons and touchscreen.
Cons: extremely expensive, LTE and satellite features need ongoing payment, restricted Garmin Pay financial support, voice capabilities are sluggish, limited smartwatch features versus competing watches.
