This newest iteration of the top-tier Fenix outdoor watch includes a potentially lifesaving feature: no-phone messaging and emergency messaging using 4G LTE or orbital links.
This Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the already outstanding Fenix 8 by adding new mobile tech, along with an available advanced microLED display in a special edition. This is Garmin's top device and designed to be the single tool required to venture almost anywhere and monitor every activity.
This positions it as an very pricey option, 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 – nearly twice the cost of the regular Fenix 8.
Users receive a significant features for your money, with best-in-class workout, activity and adventure monitoring. The complete offline mapping of the globe can seamlessly guide you back to the trail if you get lost without a phone, and appear great on the sizable, crisp and high-luminance touchscreen.
This Fenix 8 Pro is only available in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, not the more compact 43mm version found in other devices, so it is a large watch for bigger wrists. But the 47mm OLED model as tested does have an additional day of smartwatch battery life despite the screen on all the time, enduring a reliable eight to nine days between charging.
The company uses its own inReach LTE (4G) and satellite service service instead of relying on a watch plan linked to your mobile provider, as with other smartwatches. However in contrast to competing satellite-capable devices, emergency messaging is not included for no cost.
Rather, subscriptions begin from £7.99 or similar a month, which provides unlimited LTE SMS and voice messages, calls and LiveTrack position sharing – so your friends or family can keep an eye on you while engaged in jogging, cycling or similar pursuits – along with SOS satellite SOS alerts.
Check-ins and messages via orbital are then billed on top, with more expensive plans including various quotas of orbital usage, increasing to a £50 a month all-inclusive plan. The watch includes a 30-day free trial so you can test out the service.
Once you have got it set up, you just venture outside minus your phone and the watch will link to LTE. You can not use it for playing music or similar activities, but you can place and receive calls, dispatch texts and overall stay connected with your relatives and friends.
When you text someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a arbitrary phone number, which they can respond to back 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 account to use the Messenger application, only a phone number is sufficient to register for texts.
Texting on the watch functions adequately but typing out texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It has a collection of personalizable canned replies you can send to expedite communication. Spoken recordings and calls perform acceptably, although as with the majority of smartwatches, you’re unlikely going to want to use it for lengthy discussions as the quality is less than fantastic.
LiveTrack is the handiest function. You can set it up to automatically transmit a link to chosen contacts whenever you start an exercise, so they can track your live position on a map. It’s excellent for following race performance, but it mostly acts as a utility for someone you trust to know your location in case an incident occurs. It has generally worked well, although the real position has sometimes been delayed when transitioning in and out of good LTE signal.
These capabilities are available on other Garmin devices if you bring your phone with you, but in areas where LTE lacks coverage, the orbital kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, location check-ins and emergency SOS.
A on-screen assistance shows you how to locate the clear view to the satellite, which then sends and receives communications within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was unexpectedly straightforward to use and could be a vital lifeline, though it is important to remember that satellite service is limited to the US continent, most of Canada, and the majority of Europe except for parts of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees north.
The watch is generally serviceable with options offered through the customer service portal. The battery is certified to retain at least 90% of its initial capacity after two years of regular charging. The watch lacks any reused materials. Garmin offers disposal programs on recent purchases.
This Fenix 8 Pro is priced from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The additional Garmin inReach subscription plans begin from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
This Fenix 8 Pro builds on a fantastic outdoor watch in the regular Fenix 8 and adds LTE for messaging, call functionality and LiveTrack – along with orbital communication, location update and emergency SOS for when you’re without coverage.
Outcome is an even more remarkable adventure 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 requiring additional gear.
This is very freeing to be outdoors without a phone, but that functionality comes at a significant price, both in terms of the colossal price of the watch and the recurring fee of the inReach plan to provide the service. At least it is not dependent on your phone provider so works with any make of smartphone and network.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a killer gadget for someone who dislikes being burdened by their phone when jogging, cycling or trekking, but nevertheless wants to be trackable and reachable. For other users, it is a significant expense when the superb Fenix 8 already exists.
Pros: LTE and satellite communication, high-luminance OLED display, tracks everything with premier 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 diving, physical controls and touchscreen.
Cons: very costly, LTE and orbital functions need ongoing payment, limited Garmin Pay financial support, voice capabilities are sluggish, limited smartwatch functionality versus Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
