This latest version of the premium Fenix outdoor timepiece includes a potentially lifesaving capability: phone-free messaging and SOS messaging using 4G LTE or satellite links.
The Fenix 8 Pro builds upon the previously impressive Fenix 8 by adding cutting-edge mobile technology, along with an optional advanced microLED screen in a special edition. This is the brand's premier model and engineered to be the single tool required to venture virtually anywhere and monitor all your movements.
This positions it as an extremely pricey proposition, priced from £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED version and reaching a substantial £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm variant with microLED display – nearly double the price of the standard Fenix 8.
You do receive a lot of features for your money, with best-in-class workout, movement and adventure tracking. Its complete offline maps of the globe can automatically guide you back to the trail if you lose your way absent a phone, and appear excellent on the large, sharp and high-luminance touchscreen.
The Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively offered in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, omitting the more compact 43mm version available in other models, so it is a large watch for larger wrists. However the 47mm OLED model as reviewed boasts an extra day of smartwatch battery life despite the screen on all the time, lasting a reliable eight to nine days between charging.
No-Phone Messaging, Calling and Live Tracking
The company uses its own inReach LTE (4G) and satellite service plan rather than relying on a watch plan linked to your mobile provider, like other wearables. But unlike competing satellite-enabled devices, SOS communication is not included for no cost.
Rather, subscriptions start at £7.99 or equivalent a month, which provides limitless LTE SMS and voice messaging, call functionality and LiveTrack position sharing – so your friends or family can monitor you while engaged in running, cycling or similar activities – plus SOS satellite SOS messaging.
Check-ins and texts over orbital are then billed on top, with higher-tier plans offering different quotas of satellite use, increasing to a £50 a month unlimited subscription. The watch comes with a 30-day free trial so you can evaluate the service.
Once you have got it set up, you just head out outside minus your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You can not use it for streaming music or comparable activities, but you can place and receive calls, dispatch texts and generally stay connected with your relatives and friends.
Whenever you text someone, Garmin sends them an SMS from a arbitrary number, which they can reply to directly to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger app, you can then message back and forth using typed or voice messages, and make voice calls. Your contact does not need a Garmin account to use the Messenger application, just a phone number is sufficient to register for texts.
Messaging on the watch functions fine but typing out texts on the small on-screen keyboard is slow. It includes a set of personalizable canned responses you can use to expedite communication. Voice 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 less than fantastic.
LiveTrack is the most useful function. You can set it up to automatically transmit a link to selected contacts whenever you begin an exercise, so they can track your live position on a map. It’s great for following race performance, but it mostly acts as a utility for someone you trust to know your location in case an incident occurs. It has typically worked effectively, though the actual location has occasionally lagged when transitioning in and out of strong LTE signal.
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 send texts, position check-ins and emergency SOS.
A guide shows 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 essential to note that satellite service is restricted to the US mainland, most of Canada, and most of Europe except for parts of Scandinavia above 65 degrees latitude.
Environmental Impact
The watch is generally repairable with options offered via the customer service site. The battery is certified to retain at least 90% of its original capacity after two years of weekly charging. The watch does not contain any reused materials. Garmin provides disposal programs on recent 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 plans begin from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Conclusion
This Fenix 8 Pro builds on a fantastic adventure watch in the regular Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for messaging, call functionality and LiveTrack – plus orbital communication, location update and SOS SOS for when you’re without signal.
Outcome is an even more remarkable outdoor tool for those that want to be phone-free. If you wish to have someone monitor you from afar 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 comes at quite a price, both in terms of the substantial cost of the watch and the monthly subscription of the inReach plan to provide the service. Fortunately it is not reliant on your phone carrier so functions with any brand of smartphone and carrier.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a killer gadget for someone who hates being weighed down by their phone when jogging, biking or trekking, but nevertheless wants to be trackable and reachable. For other users, it is a lot of money when the superb Fenix 8 is already available.
Pros: LTE and orbital communication, high-luminance OLED screen, tracks everything with best-in-class GPS, integrated torch, phone and offline commands, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, complete offline maps and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre underwater use, buttons and touch.
Cons: very expensive, LTE and orbital functions require monthly subscription, restricted Garmin Pay financial compatibility, voice capabilities are sluggish, basic smartwatch functionality compared with competing watches.
