This newest version of the top-tier Fenix outdoor watch brings a life-saving capability: no-phone communication and emergency messaging via 4G LTE or orbital connections.
The Fenix 8 Pro enhances the already impressive Fenix 8 by incorporating cutting-edge mobile tech, plus an available state-of-the-art microLED screen in a special edition. It is Garmin's top model and designed to be the single gadget required to venture virtually any location and monitor every activity.
This makes it an extremely expensive option, starting at £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED version and climbing to a substantial £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm edition with microLED screen – almost double the cost of the regular Fenix 8.
Users get a significant functionality for your money, with best-in-class fitness, movement and outdoor monitoring. The full offline maps of the world can automatically direct you back to the path if you get lost absent a phone, and look great on the large, sharp and high-luminance touchscreen.
The Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively 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. But the 47mm OLED model as reviewed boasts an additional day of watch battery life even with the display always active, enduring a reliable eight to nine days between charging.
Phone-Free Texting, Calling and Real-Time Location
Garmin operates its own inReach LTE (4G) and orbital service plan instead of depending on a watch plan linked to your phone provider, as with other smartwatches. However in contrast to competing satellite-capable products, emergency messaging is not provided for no cost.
Rather, plans begin from £7.99 or equivalent a month, which provides unlimited LTE SMS and audio messages, calls and LiveTrack position tracking – so your friends or loved ones can monitor you while out jogging, biking or comparable activities – plus emergency orbital SOS alerts.
Check-ins and messages via satellite are then charged additionally, with more expensive plans offering different quotas of orbital use, increasing to a £50 a month all-inclusive plan. The watch includes a 30-day trial period so you can evaluate the functionality.
Once you have got it set up, you just venture the door minus your phone and the watch will link to LTE. You cannot use it for playing music or similar activities, but you can make and take calls, dispatch texts and overall stay connected with your family and friends.
Whenever you message someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a arbitrary phone number, which they can respond to directly to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger application, you can then communicate back and forth using text or spoken communications, and make voice calls. Your recipient is not required to have a Garmin account to use the Messenger application, only a phone number is sufficient to sign up for texts.
Texting on the watch works fine but typing out texts on the small on-screen keyboard is slow. It has a collection of customisable pre-set replies you can send to expedite communication. Spoken recordings and calls perform acceptably, although as with the majority of wearables, you’re unlikely going to want to use it for extended discussions as the quality is not ideal.
LiveTrack is the handiest feature. You can set it up to on its own transmit a link to chosen contacts every time you begin an activity, so they can track your real time position on a map. It’s excellent for monitoring competition progress, but it primarily serves as a tool for someone you rely on to be aware of your whereabouts in case an incident occurs. It has generally functioned well, though the actual position has occasionally been delayed when transitioning in and out of strong LTE signal.
All of 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 transmit texts, position updates and emergency SOS.
A on-screen assistance shows you how to locate the clear view to the satellite, which then transmits and gets messages within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was surprisingly easy to use and could be a vital lifeline, however it is essential to remember that satellite service is limited to the US continent, the majority of Canada, and most of Europe except for regions of Scandinavia above 65 degrees latitude.
Sustainability
The watch is typically repairable with services offered through the support site. The battery is certified to maintain at least 90% of its initial capacity after two years of weekly charging. The watch does not contain any recycled materials. Garmin provides recycling schemes on new purchases.
Cost
The Fenix 8 Pro is priced from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The additional Garmin inReach subscription packages cost from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Verdict
The Fenix 8 Pro builds on a fantastic outdoor watch in the standard Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for texting, call functionality and LiveTrack – along with orbital communication, location update and SOS SOS for when you’re out of coverage.
The result is an increasingly impressive outdoor device for those that desire to be unplugged. If you wish to have someone monitor you from afar while exercising out at night or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin accomplishes this without needing anything else.
It is quite liberating to be outdoors without a phone, but that functionality comes at quite a price, both in terms of the colossal price of the watch and the monthly subscription of the inReach service to enable the service. Fortunately it isn’t reliant on your phone carrier so works with any brand of smartphone and network.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a killer device for someone who dislikes being weighed down by their phone when jogging, biking or hiking, 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 satellite communication, high-luminance OLED display, monitors everything with best-in-class GPS, integrated flashlight, phone and offline commands, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, complete offline maps and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre diving, buttons and touchscreen.
Cons: extremely expensive, LTE and satellite functions require monthly payment, limited Garmin Pay financial support, voice capabilities are sluggish, basic wearable functionality compared with Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
