This newest version of the flagship Fenix outdoor timepiece introduces a potentially lifesaving feature: no-phone messaging and SOS alerts via 4G LTE or orbital connections.
This Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the previously outstanding Fenix 8 by incorporating new cellular tech, plus an optional advanced microLED display in a special edition. It is the brand's top model and engineered to be the single gadget needed to explore virtually anywhere and monitor every activity.
That positions it as an very pricey option, 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 variant with microLED screen – almost twice the price of the regular Fenix 8.
Users get a lot of features for your investment, with best-in-class workout, movement and outdoor tracking. Its full offline maps of the globe can seamlessly guide you back to the trail if you lose your way absent a phone, and appear great on the sizable, crisp and super-bright display.
The Fenix 8 Pro is only offered in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, omitting the more compact 43mm version found in other devices, so it is a big watch for larger wrists. However the 47mm OLED version as tested does have an additional day of smartwatch battery life even with the screen always active, lasting a solid eight to nine days between charges.
No-Phone Messaging, Calling and Real-Time Location
The company operates its own inReach LTE (4G) and satellite service plan rather than relying on a watch plan linked to your phone carrier, as with other smartwatches. However unlike competing satellite-capable devices, SOS communication is not provided for free.
Instead, plans start at £7.99 or equivalent a month, which provides unlimited LTE text and voice messaging, calls and LiveTrack position tracking – so your friends or loved ones can keep an eye on you while engaged in jogging, biking or comparable pursuits – along with SOS satellite SOS messaging.
Check-ins and texts over orbital are then charged additionally, with higher-tier subscriptions offering different allowances of satellite usage, increasing to a £50 a month all-inclusive plan. The watch comes with a 30-day free trial so you can evaluate the service.
Once you have completed setup, you just venture outside without your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You cannot use it for playing music or comparable activities, but you can place and receive calls, send texts and generally keep in touch with your family and companions.
When you text someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a random phone number, which they can respond to back to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger app, you can then message back and forth using typed or spoken messages, and initiate voice calls. Your recipient is not required to have a Garmin account to use the Messenger app, only a phone number is enough to register for texts.
Texting on the watch works fine but composing texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is slow. It has a set of customisable pre-set responses you can use to speed things up. Spoken recordings and calls perform acceptably, although as with most 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 configure to automatically transmit a URL to selected contacts every time you start an exercise, so they can follow your real time position on a map. It’s excellent for following race performance, but it mostly acts as a utility for someone you rely on to know your location in case something happens. It has generally functioned effectively, though the real position has occasionally been delayed when transitioning in and out of good LTE coverage.
These features are available on other Garmin watches if you carry your phone with you, but in areas where LTE does not reach, the satellite activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, location check-ins and SOS SOS.
A guide displays you how to locate the clear view to the satellite, which then sends and receives communications within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was surprisingly straightforward to use and could be a vital lifeline, though it is essential to remember that orbital coverage is restricted to the US mainland, most of Canada, and the majority of Europe excluding parts of Scandinavia above 65 degrees north.
Sustainability
The watch is typically serviceable with options available through the support site. The battery is rated to maintain at least 90% of its original power after two years of regular charging. The watch does not contain any reused components. Garmin provides recycling schemes on new 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 plans cost from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Conclusion
The Fenix 8 Pro builds on a excellent adventure watch in the standard Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for messaging, calls and LiveTrack – along with satellite communication, check-in and SOS SOS for when you’re without coverage.
The result is an increasingly remarkable adventure device for those that desire to be unplugged. If you want to have someone monitor you remotely while exercising out at night or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin does so without needing anything else.
It is quite freeing to be outdoors without a phone, but that functionality carries a significant price, both in terms of the substantial price of the watch and the recurring fee of the inReach plan to enable the service. At least it isn’t reliant on your phone provider so works with any make of smartphone and carrier.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier device for someone who hates being burdened by their phone when jogging, cycling or hiking, but nevertheless wants to be locatable and contactable. For other users, it is a significant money when the excellent Fenix 8 is already available.
Advantages: LTE and satellite communication, super-bright OLED display, tracks all activities with premier GPS, integrated flashlight, phone and offline voice control, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, complete offline mapping and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre underwater use, physical controls and touch.
Cons: extremely expensive, LTE and satellite functions require monthly payment, restricted Garmin Pay financial compatibility, voice features are sluggish, basic wearable features compared with competing watches.
