This most recent model of the top-tier Fenix adventure timepiece includes a life-saving capability: no-phone communication and emergency messaging using 4G LTE or satellite links.
The Fenix 8 Pro builds upon the already impressive Fenix 8 by adding new mobile tech, along with an optional advanced microLED display in a special edition. It is the brand's premier device and designed to be the single gadget needed to explore almost anywhere and monitor every activity.
That makes it an very expensive option, starting at £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED model and reaching a colossal £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm variant with microLED screen – almost twice the cost of the standard Fenix 8.
Users receive a significant features for your money, with industry-leading fitness, movement and adventure monitoring. The full offline maps of the globe can automatically guide you return to the path if you get lost absent a phone, and appear excellent on the large, sharp and high-luminance touchscreen.
The Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively available in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, not the smaller 43mm size available in other devices, so it is a big watch for larger wrists. But the 47mm OLED version as reviewed does have an additional day of watch battery life despite the screen always active, enduring a reliable eight to nine days between charges.
No-Phone Texting, Calls and Live Tracking
The company uses its own inReach LTE (4G) and orbital subscription plan rather than relying on a watch plan linked to your mobile carrier, as with other smartwatches. However unlike Apple or Google's satellite-enabled devices, SOS communication is not provided for free.
Instead, subscriptions start at £7.99 or similar a month, which includes limitless LTE SMS and audio messages, call functionality and LiveTrack position tracking – so your contacts or family can monitor you while engaged in jogging, cycling or comparable activities – along with emergency satellite SOS messaging.
Location updates and texts over orbital are then billed on top, with more expensive plans including different quotas of satellite usage, increasing to a £50 a month all-inclusive subscription. The watch includes a 30-day free trial so you can evaluate the service.
After you have completed setup, you simply head out outside without your phone and the watch will link to LTE. You cannot use it for streaming music or similar tasks, but you are able to place and receive calls, send texts and overall keep in touch with your family and friends.
Whenever you text someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a random number, which they can reply to back to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger application, you can then message back and forth using typed or spoken messages, and make voice calls. Your recipient does not need 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 small on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It has a set of customisable pre-set replies you can send to speed things up. Spoken recordings and calls perform acceptably, although as with the majority of smartwatches, you’re not going to wish to use it for lengthy conversations as the audio clarity is less than fantastic.
LiveTrack is the handiest function. You can set it up to on its own transmit a URL to chosen contacts whenever you start an activity, so they can follow your live position on a map. It’s great for monitoring race performance, but it mostly acts as a utility for someone you rely on to be aware of your location in case an incident occurs. It has generally functioned well, though the real location has occasionally been delayed when moving in and out of strong LTE signal.
All of these features are available on other Garmin watches if you bring your phone with you, but in locations where LTE lacks coverage, the orbital kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, location check-ins and emergency SOS.
A guide displays you how to find the clear view to the satellite, which then sends and receives communications within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was surprisingly straightforward to use and could be a vital safety feature, though it is essential to remember that satellite coverage is limited to the US continent, most of Canada, and most of Europe excluding regions of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees latitude.
Environmental Impact
The watch is typically serviceable with services offered via the customer service portal. The battery is certified to retain at least 90% of its original capacity after two years of regular charging. The watch lacks any reused materials. Garmin provides recycling schemes on recent purchases.
Cost
This Fenix 8 Pro is priced from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The optional Garmin inReach service plans begin from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Conclusion
This Fenix 8 Pro builds on a fantastic outdoor watch in the regular Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for texting, call functionality and LiveTrack – plus orbital messaging, check-in and emergency SOS for when you’re out of signal.
The result is an even more impressive adventure tool for those that desire to be phone-free. If you want to have someone monitor you from afar while exercising after dark or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin does so without needing additional gear.
This is quite freeing to be outdoors without a phone, but that capability comes at a significant price, both in terms of the substantial cost of the watch and the monthly subscription of the inReach plan to provide the service. 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 jogging, biking 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, high-luminance OLED screen, tracks everything with best-in-class GPS, integrated flashlight, voice and standalone commands, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, complete offline mapping and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre underwater use, physical controls and touch.
Drawbacks: extremely expensive, LTE and satellite features need monthly subscription, restricted Garmin Pay financial compatibility, voice features are slow, basic smartwatch features versus competing watches.
