This latest iteration of the flagship Fenix outdoor timepiece includes a potentially lifesaving feature: no-phone communication and emergency messaging using 4G LTE or orbital links.
The Fenix 8 Pro enhances the previously impressive Fenix 8 by adding new mobile tech, along with an optional advanced microLED display in a special edition. This is the brand's top device and designed to be the only gadget required to explore virtually anywhere and monitor all your movements.
That positions it as an very expensive proposition, priced from £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED version and reaching a colossal £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm edition with microLED screen – nearly double the cost of the regular Fenix 8.
Users receive a significant functionality for your investment, with best-in-class fitness, movement and outdoor tracking. Its complete offline mapping of the world can seamlessly direct you return to the trail if you lose your way absent a phone, and look excellent on the sizable, sharp and high-luminance display.
The Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively available in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, omitting the more compact 43mm version found in other devices, so it is a big watch for bigger wrists. However the 47mm OLED model as tested boasts an extra day of smartwatch battery life despite the display on all the time, lasting a solid eight to nine days between charges.
No-Phone Messaging, Calls and Live Tracking
Garmin uses its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and satellite service service instead of depending on a watch plan linked to your phone provider, as with other wearables. However in contrast to Apple or Google's satellite-enabled products, emergency messaging is not provided for free.
Rather, subscriptions start at £7.99 or similar a month, which includes unlimited LTE SMS and audio messaging, calls and LiveTrack position tracking – so your friends or family can keep an eye on you while out running, cycling or comparable pursuits – along with emergency orbital SOS messaging.
Location updates and texts over satellite are then charged on top, with more expensive plans offering various quotas of orbital use, increasing to a £50 a month all-inclusive subscription. The watch comes with a 30-day free trial so you can test out the service.
Once you have completed setup, you just venture outside minus your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You can not use it for streaming music or similar activities, but you can place and receive calls, dispatch texts and generally keep in touch with your relatives and companions.
Whenever you text someone, Garmin sends them an SMS from a random phone number, which they can reply to directly to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger app, you can then message back and forth using text or spoken messages, and make voice calls. Your recipient is not required to have a Garmin account to use the Messenger app, only a phone number is sufficient to sign up for texts.
Texting on the watch functions adequately but typing out texts on the small on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It includes a set of customisable pre-set responses you can use to expedite communication. Voice messages and calls perform OK, although as with the majority of smartwatches, you’re not going to wish to use it for lengthy discussions as the audio clarity is not fantastic.
LiveTrack is the most useful feature. You can set it up to on its own send a URL to chosen contacts whenever you start an exercise, so they can track your real time position on a map. It’s great for following race performance, but it mostly acts as a tool for someone you rely on to be aware of your location in case an incident occurs. It has generally worked well, although the real location has sometimes been delayed when moving in and out of strong LTE signal.
These features are accessible on other Garmin devices if you bring your phone with you, but in locations where LTE lacks coverage, the orbital kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, position updates 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 straightforward to use and could be a vital safety feature, though it is essential to remember that satellite coverage is limited to the US continent, the majority of Canada, and most of Europe excluding regions of Scandinavia above 65 degrees north.
Environmental Impact
The watch is typically serviceable with options available through the support site. The battery is certified to maintain at least 90% of its initial power after two years of weekly charging. The watch does not contain any reused components. Garmin offers disposal 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 additional Garmin inReach service packages cost from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Conclusion
The Fenix 8 Pro builds on a fantastic outdoor watch in the standard Fenix 8 and adds LTE for messaging, call functionality and LiveTrack – plus orbital messaging, check-in and SOS SOS for when you’re without signal.
Outcome is an increasingly remarkable outdoor device for those that desire 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 requiring anything else.
This is very liberating to be outdoors without a phone, but that capability comes at a significant price, both in terms of the substantial price of the watch and the monthly subscription of the inReach service to enable the features. Fortunately it isn’t reliant on your phone provider so functions with all make of smartphone and carrier.
The 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 contactable. For everyone else, it is a significant money when the excellent Fenix 8 is already available.
Advantages: LTE and satellite messaging, high-luminance OLED display, tracks all activities with premier GPS, integrated flashlight, phone and offline voice control, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, complete offline mapping and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre diving, physical controls and touch.
Cons: very expensive, LTE and orbital functions require monthly payment, restricted Garmin Pay bank compatibility, voice features are sluggish, limited smartwatch features compared with Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
