This newest version of the top-tier Fenix adventure timepiece brings a life-saving capability: no-phone messaging and SOS alerts using 4G LTE or satellite connections.
The Fenix 8 Pro builds upon the already outstanding Fenix 8 by incorporating new cellular tech, along with an available state-of-the-art microLED screen in a limited edition. This is the brand's premier model and engineered to be the single gadget required to venture almost any location and monitor all your movements.
This makes it an very pricey option, priced from £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED model and reaching a substantial £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm edition with microLED display – nearly twice the price of the standard Fenix 8.
You do get a significant functionality for your investment, with best-in-class workout, activity and adventure monitoring. Its full offline maps of the globe can seamlessly direct you back to the trail if you lose your way without a phone, and appear great on the large, sharp and high-luminance display.
The Fenix 8 Pro is only offered in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, omitting the smaller 43mm version found in other devices, so it is a big watch for bigger wrists. But the 47mm OLED model as reviewed boasts an additional day of watch battery life even with the display on all the time, enduring a reliable eight to nine days between charges.
Phone-Free Texting, Calls and Real-Time Location
Garmin uses its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and satellite subscription plan instead of depending on a watch plan tied to your mobile provider, like other wearables. But unlike Apple or Google's satellite-enabled products, emergency messaging is not provided for free.
Rather, subscriptions begin from £7.99 or similar a month, which provides limitless LTE SMS and audio messages, calls and LiveTrack location sharing – so your friends or loved ones can keep an eye on you while out jogging, biking or comparable pursuits – plus SOS satellite SOS messaging.
Location updates and texts via satellite are then charged on top, with higher-tier plans including various quotas of satellite use, climbing to a £50 a month unlimited plan. The watch includes a 30-day trial period so you can test out the functionality.
After you have got it set up, you just venture the door without your phone and the watch will link to LTE. You can not use it for playing music or comparable activities, but you are able to place and receive calls, dispatch texts and overall keep in touch with your relatives and friends.
Whenever you text someone, Garmin sends 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 reciprocally using text or voice communications, and initiate voice calls. Your contact is not required to have a Garmin account to use the Messenger application, only a mobile number is sufficient to register for texts.
Texting on the watch works fine but typing out texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is slow. It includes a set of personalizable canned responses you can send to speed things up. Voice recordings and calls perform OK, although as with the majority of smartwatches, you’re not going to want to use it for extended conversations as the quality is less than ideal.
LiveTrack is the most useful function. You can configure to automatically transmit a link to selected contacts whenever you start an activity, so they can track your live position on a map. It’s great for following competition performance, but it primarily acts as a utility for someone you rely on to be aware of your location in case an incident occurs. It has generally functioned effectively, though the actual position has sometimes been delayed when moving in and out of strong LTE coverage.
All of these capabilities are accessible on other Garmin watches if you bring your phone with you, but in areas where LTE lacks coverage, the satellite activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, location check-ins and emergency SOS.
A guide displays you how to find the clear view to the satellite, which then transmits and gets communications within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was surprisingly easy to use and could be a vital safety feature, however it is important to remember that satellite coverage is limited to the US continent, most of Canada, and the majority of Europe excluding regions of Scandinavia above 65 degrees north.
Sustainability
The watch is generally repairable with services available through the customer service site. The battery is certified to retain at least 90% of its original capacity after two years of regular charging. The watch does not contain any reused materials. Garmin offers recycling programs on new purchases.
Cost
This Fenix 8 Pro costs from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The optional Garmin inReach service plans cost from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Verdict
This Fenix 8 Pro takes a excellent outdoor watch in the regular Fenix 8 and adds LTE for messaging, call functionality and LiveTrack – plus satellite messaging, location update and emergency SOS for when you’re without coverage.
Outcome is an increasingly impressive outdoor tool for those that want to be phone-free. If you want to have someone keep an eye on you from afar while running after dark or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin does so without requiring anything else.
It is quite 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 monthly fee of the inReach service to enable the features. At least it isn’t dependent on your phone carrier so works with all make of smartphone and carrier.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier gadget for someone who dislikes being weighed down by their phone when running, cycling or hiking, but nevertheless desires to be locatable and contactable. For everyone else, it is a significant money when the superb Fenix 8 is already available.
Advantages: LTE and satellite communication, high-luminance OLED display, tracks all activities with premier GPS, integrated torch, voice and offline commands, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, complete offline mapping and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre underwater use, physical controls and touchscreen.
Cons: very expensive, LTE and satellite features require monthly payment, restricted Garmin Pay financial support, speech capabilities are slow, limited smartwatch features compared with competing watches.
