This most recent version of the premium Fenix adventure timepiece introduces a life-saving capability: no-phone messaging and emergency alerts via 4G LTE or satellite connections.
The Fenix 8 Pro enhances the previously impressive Fenix 8 by adding cutting-edge mobile tech, plus an optional advanced microLED display in a special edition. It is Garmin's premier model and designed to be the only tool required to venture almost any location and monitor all your movements.
That makes it an very pricey proposition, priced from £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED model and climbing to a colossal £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm variant with microLED display – almost double the cost of the regular Fenix 8.
You do receive a significant features for your money, with best-in-class workout, movement and adventure tracking. The complete offline mapping of the globe can seamlessly guide you back to the path if you get lost without a phone, and look excellent on the sizable, sharp and high-luminance display.
The Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively offered in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, omitting the more compact 43mm size available in other devices, so it is a large watch for larger wrists. However the 47mm OLED version as tested boasts an additional day of smartwatch battery life even with the display on all the time, lasting a solid eight to nine days between charging.
No-Phone Messaging, Calls and Live Tracking
Garmin uses its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and satellite subscription plan rather than relying on a watch plan linked to your mobile carrier, like other smartwatches. But unlike Apple or Google's satellite-enabled products, SOS communication is not provided for free.
Rather, subscriptions start at £7.99 or equivalent a month, which includes limitless LTE SMS and audio messaging, calls and LiveTrack position tracking – so your friends or loved ones can monitor you while engaged in jogging, biking or similar activities – plus emergency satellite SOS alerts.
Location updates and texts via orbital are then billed on top, with more expensive plans offering different allowances of satellite usage, increasing to a £50 a month all-inclusive subscription. The watch comes with a 30-day trial period so you can test out the functionality.
Once you have completed setup, you just head out the door minus your phone and the watch will link to LTE. You cannot use it for playing music or comparable activities, but you are able to place and receive calls, send texts and overall stay connected with your family and friends.
Whenever you text someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a arbitrary number, which they can respond to back to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger application, you can then communicate reciprocally via typed or spoken messages, and make voice calls. Your contact is not required to have a Garmin profile to use the Messenger application, just a mobile number is enough to register for texts.
Texting on the watch functions fine but typing out texts on the small on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It includes a set of customisable pre-set replies you can use to expedite communication. Spoken messages and calls perform OK, although as with the majority of wearables, you’re not going to want to use it for extended discussions as the audio clarity is less than fantastic.
LiveTrack is the handiest function. You can set it up to on its own transmit a link to selected contacts every time you begin an activity, so they can track your real time location on a map. It’s excellent for following competition performance, but it mostly acts as a tool for someone you rely on to know your location in case an incident occurs. It has generally worked well, though the actual location has sometimes lagged when transitioning in and out of strong LTE coverage.
These capabilities are accessible on other Garmin devices if you carry your phone with you, but in areas where LTE does not reach, the orbital activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, location updates and emergency SOS.
A guide shows you how to locate the clear view to the orbital system, 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 note that satellite coverage is restricted to the US mainland, most of Canada, and most of Europe excluding parts of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees latitude.
Environmental Impact
The watch is generally serviceable with services available through the customer service portal. The battery is rated to retain at least 90% of its original power after two years of weekly charging. The watch does not contain any reused components. Garmin offers disposal schemes on recent purchases.
Cost
This Fenix 8 Pro costs from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The optional Garmin inReach subscription packages cost from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Verdict
The Fenix 8 Pro builds on a fantastic adventure watch in the standard Fenix 8 and adds LTE for texting, call functionality and LiveTrack – plus satellite messaging, location update and emergency SOS for when you’re without coverage.
The result is an increasingly remarkable outdoor device for those that want to be unplugged. If you wish to have someone keep an eye on you from afar while running after dark or in the remote areas, the Garmin does so without requiring anything else.
This is quite liberating to be outdoors without a phone, but that functionality carries a significant cost, both in terms of the substantial price of the watch and the monthly subscription of the inReach service to enable the service. At least it is not reliant on your phone provider so works with all make of smartphone and network.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a killer gadget for someone who hates being weighed down by their phone when running, biking or trekking, but nevertheless wants to be trackable and contactable. For everyone else, it is a significant money when the superb Fenix 8 already exists.
Advantages: LTE and satellite communication, super-bright OLED display, tracks all activities with best-in-class GPS, integrated torch, voice and standalone voice control, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, complete offline maps and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre underwater use, physical controls and touchscreen.
Drawbacks: very costly, LTE and satellite features need ongoing subscription, restricted Garmin Pay bank compatibility, voice capabilities are sluggish, basic wearable functionality compared with Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
