This newest model of Garmin's flagship Fenix outdoor timepiece includes a potentially lifesaving feature: phone-free messaging and SOS alerts using 4G LTE or orbital connections.
The Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the already impressive Fenix 8 by adding new mobile tech, along with an available advanced microLED display in a limited edition. This is the brand's premier model and designed to be the single tool required to venture virtually any location and track every activity.
This positions it as an very pricey proposition, starting at £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 twice the price of the standard Fenix 8.
Users receive a significant features for your investment, with industry-leading workout, activity and adventure monitoring. The full offline maps of the globe can seamlessly direct you back to the path if you get lost without a phone, and appear great on the sizable, crisp and high-luminance display.
The Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively offered in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, omitting the more compact 43mm version available in other models, so it is a large watch for larger wrists. However the 47mm OLED model as reviewed does have an extra day of watch battery life even with the screen always active, lasting a reliable eight to nine days between charges.
No-Phone Texting, Calling and Live Tracking
The company operates its own inReach LTE (4G) and satellite subscription plan instead of depending on a watch plan linked to your mobile provider, as with other smartwatches. But in contrast to competing satellite-enabled products, emergency communication is not included for free.
Instead, subscriptions begin from £7.99 or similar a month, which includes unlimited LTE SMS and voice messages, call functionality and LiveTrack location tracking – so your friends or family can keep an eye on you while out running, cycling or comparable activities – plus emergency orbital SOS alerts.
Check-ins and texts via satellite are then billed additionally, with higher-tier subscriptions including different allowances of orbital usage, increasing to a £50 a month all-inclusive subscription. The watch includes a 30-day trial period so you can evaluate the functionality.
Once you have completed setup, you just head out the door without your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You cannot use it for playing music or comparable tasks, but you can place and receive calls, dispatch texts and overall keep in touch with your family and companions.
Whenever you text someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a arbitrary number, which they can reply to directly to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger application, you can then communicate back and forth using typed or voice communications, and initiate voice calls. Your contact is not required to have a Garmin profile to use the Messenger app, 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 includes a collection of customisable pre-set responses you can send to expedite communication. Spoken messages and calls work OK, though as with most wearables, you’re unlikely going to want to use it for lengthy conversations as the audio clarity is not ideal.
LiveTrack is the most useful function. You can set it up to automatically transmit a URL to selected contacts every time you start an activity, so they can track your real time location on a map. It’s excellent for following race progress, but it mostly serves as a tool for someone you trust to be aware of your whereabouts in case something happens. It has typically worked effectively, although the actual position has sometimes lagged when moving in and out of good LTE signal.
All of these features are accessible on other Garmin watches if you bring your phone with you, but in locations where LTE does not reach, the satellite kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, position updates and SOS SOS.
A on-screen assistance displays 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 straightforward to use and could be a vital safety feature, however it is important to note that satellite coverage is restricted to the US continent, most of Canada, and most of Europe except for regions of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees north.
Sustainability
The watch is typically repairable with options offered via the customer service site. The battery is certified to retain at least 90% of its initial capacity after two years of weekly charging. The watch lacks any recycled components. Garmin provides disposal programs on recent purchases.
Price
The Fenix 8 Pro costs from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The optional Garmin inReach subscription plans cost from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Verdict
The Fenix 8 Pro builds on a fantastic outdoor watch in the regular Fenix 8 and adds LTE for texting, call functionality and LiveTrack – plus satellite communication, location update and SOS 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 wish to have someone keep an eye on you remotely while exercising out at night or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin does so without needing additional gear.
This is quite freeing to be outside without a phone, but that capability comes at a significant cost, both in terms of the substantial price of the watch and the recurring subscription of the inReach service to provide the service. At least it isn’t dependent on your phone provider so functions with all make of smartphone and carrier.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier device for someone who dislikes being weighed down by their phone when jogging, cycling or hiking, but nevertheless wants to be locatable and contactable. For everyone else, it is a significant expense when the superb Fenix 8 already exists.
Pros: LTE and satellite communication, super-bright OLED display, monitors all activities with premier GPS, built-in flashlight, voice and standalone voice control, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, full offline maps and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre diving, buttons and touchscreen.
Cons: extremely expensive, LTE and orbital features require monthly payment, restricted Garmin Pay financial support, voice features are slow, limited wearable functionality versus Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
