This latest version of the top-tier Fenix outdoor timepiece includes a potentially lifesaving capability: no-phone communication and emergency alerts using 4G LTE or orbital connections.
The Fenix 8 Pro builds upon the previously impressive Fenix 8 by adding new cellular tech, plus an available advanced microLED screen in a special edition. It is the brand's premier device and engineered to be the only gadget required to explore almost anywhere and monitor all your movements.
This positions it as an extremely 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 variant with microLED screen – nearly double the price of the regular Fenix 8.
Users get a significant features for your investment, with best-in-class workout, activity and adventure tracking. The complete offline maps of the globe can automatically guide you return to the trail if you get lost absent a phone, and look great on the large, crisp and super-bright display.
This Fenix 8 Pro is only offered in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, not the smaller 43mm version found in other devices, so it is a big watch for larger wrists. But the 47mm OLED version as tested boasts an additional day of smartwatch battery life despite the screen on all the time, enduring a solid eight to nine days between charging.
Phone-Free Messaging, Calls and Live Tracking
Garmin uses its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and orbital subscription service rather than depending on a watch plan tied to your mobile carrier, as with other smartwatches. However unlike Apple or Google's satellite-capable products, SOS messaging is not included for free.
Instead, plans start at £7.99 or equivalent a month, which includes limitless LTE text and audio messages, call functionality and LiveTrack position tracking – so your contacts or loved ones can keep an eye on you while engaged in running, cycling or comparable pursuits – plus SOS orbital SOS messaging.
Location updates and texts over orbital are then charged on top, with more expensive plans including different allowances of satellite use, increasing to a £50 a month unlimited plan. The watch comes with a 30-day trial period so you can test out the service.
Once you have got it set up, you simply venture outside without your phone and the watch will link to LTE. You cannot use it for playing music or similar activities, but you can place and receive calls, dispatch texts and generally stay connected with your relatives and friends.
When you message someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a arbitrary phone number, which they can respond to back to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger app, you can then communicate back and forth using text or spoken messages, and initiate voice calls. Your recipient is not required to have a Garmin account to use the Messenger app, only a mobile number is sufficient to sign up for texts.
Texting on the watch functions fine but composing texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It includes a set of personalizable canned responses you can send to expedite communication. Spoken recordings and calls work OK, although as with the majority of wearables, you’re not going to want to use it for lengthy discussions as the quality is less than fantastic.
LiveTrack is the most useful function. You can configure to automatically transmit a URL to selected contacts whenever you start an exercise, so they can track your live position on a map. It’s great for following race progress, but it mostly serves as a tool for someone you rely on to know your location in case an incident occurs. It has typically functioned effectively, though the actual position has occasionally lagged when moving in and out of good LTE coverage.
All of these capabilities are available on other Garmin watches if you carry your phone with you, but in areas where LTE does not reach, the satellite kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, location check-ins and emergency SOS.
A guide shows you how to locate the clear view 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 lifeline, however it is important to remember that satellite coverage is restricted to the US continent, most of Canada, and the majority of Europe except for parts of Scandinavia above 65 degrees north.
Sustainability
The watch is generally repairable with options available through the customer service site. The battery is certified to retain at least 90% of its initial power after two years of weekly charging. The watch does not contain any recycled materials. Garmin provides recycling programs on recent purchases.
Price
This Fenix 8 Pro is priced from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The optional Garmin inReach service packages cost from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Verdict
This Fenix 8 Pro takes a fantastic outdoor watch in the regular Fenix 8 and adds LTE for texting, call functionality and LiveTrack – plus satellite communication, check-in and emergency SOS for when you’re out of coverage.
The result is an increasingly remarkable outdoor tool for those that want to be unplugged. If you want to have someone monitor you remotely while running after dark or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin accomplishes this without requiring additional gear.
It is very freeing to be outside without a phone, but that capability carries quite a cost, both in terms of the substantial price of the watch and the recurring fee of the inReach service to enable the features. Fortunately it is not reliant on your phone provider so works with all make of smartphone and carrier.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier gadget for someone who hates being weighed down by their phone when jogging, cycling or trekking, but still desires to be locatable and reachable. For other users, it is a significant expense when the superb Fenix 8 is already available.
Advantages: LTE and orbital messaging, high-luminance OLED display, monitors everything with best-in-class GPS, built-in torch, voice and offline voice control, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, complete offline maps and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre underwater use, buttons and touchscreen.
Drawbacks: extremely expensive, LTE and satellite functions need monthly subscription, limited Garmin Pay financial support, speech capabilities are slow, basic wearable functionality compared with Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
