The newest version of the flagship Fenix adventure watch brings a potentially lifesaving feature: no-phone messaging and SOS alerts using 4G LTE or satellite links.
The Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the already outstanding Fenix 8 by incorporating new mobile technology, plus an optional advanced microLED screen in a special edition. It is the brand's premier model and designed to be the only tool required to venture almost any location and monitor all your movements.
This makes it an very pricey 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 display – almost double the cost of the standard Fenix 8.
Users receive a significant functionality for your money, with best-in-class fitness, activity and outdoor tracking. The full offline maps of the world can seamlessly guide you return to the path if you get lost absent a phone, and appear great on the sizable, crisp and super-bright touchscreen.
This Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively offered in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, not the more compact 43mm version available in other models, so it is a large watch for bigger wrists. However the 47mm OLED model as reviewed boasts an additional day of watch battery life even with the display on all the time, lasting a reliable eight to nine days between charges.
No-Phone Messaging, Calls and Live Tracking
The company operates its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and orbital subscription service instead of relying on a watch plan tied to your mobile provider, like other smartwatches. But unlike competing satellite-enabled devices, emergency messaging is not provided for no cost.
Instead, plans start at £7.99 or similar a month, which provides limitless LTE SMS and voice messaging, call functionality and LiveTrack location tracking – so your friends or family can keep an eye on you while out running, cycling or comparable activities – along with SOS orbital SOS messaging.
Check-ins and texts via satellite are then charged additionally, with more expensive subscriptions including different quotas of orbital use, climbing to a £50 a month all-inclusive plan. The watch comes with a 30-day trial period so you can test out the service.
After you have completed setup, you simply head out outside without your phone and the watch will link to LTE. You can not use it for playing music or comparable activities, but you can make and take calls, dispatch texts and overall keep in touch with your family and friends.
Whenever you message someone, Garmin sends them an SMS from a arbitrary phone number, which they can reply to back to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger application, you can then communicate reciprocally using typed or spoken messages, and initiate voice calls. Your recipient does not need a Garmin account to use the Messenger app, only a mobile number is sufficient to sign up for texts.
Texting on the watch functions fine but composing texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is slow. It includes a set of personalizable pre-set responses you can send to speed things up. Spoken recordings and calls perform OK, though as with most wearables, you’re not going to want to use it for extended conversations as the audio clarity is not fantastic.
LiveTrack is the handiest feature. You can set it up to automatically transmit a URL to selected contacts every time you begin an exercise, so they can track your real time location on a map. It’s excellent for following competition progress, but it mostly serves as a utility for someone you trust to know your whereabouts in case an incident occurs. It has generally worked well, although the real position has occasionally been delayed when moving in and out of good LTE signal.
All of these features are available on other Garmin devices if you carry your phone with you, but in locations where LTE does not reach, the satellite kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, position updates and emergency SOS.
A guide shows you how to find the line of sight to the orbital system, which then transmits and gets communications within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was surprisingly straightforward to use and could be a vital lifeline, however it is essential to remember that satellite service is restricted to the US continent, most of Canada, and the majority of Europe except for parts of Scandinavia above 65 degrees latitude.
Sustainability
The watch is generally repairable with services available through the support portal. The battery is certified to retain at least 90% of its original power after two years of weekly charging. The watch does not contain any reused materials. Garmin offers disposal programs on new purchases.
Cost
The 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).
Conclusion
The Fenix 8 Pro takes a fantastic outdoor watch in the standard Fenix 8 and adds LTE for messaging, call functionality and LiveTrack – plus orbital communication, check-in and emergency SOS for when you’re out of coverage.
The result is an increasingly remarkable outdoor device for those that want to be unplugged. If you want to have someone keep an eye on you from afar while running out at night or in the remote areas, the Garmin does so without needing anything else.
It is quite liberating to be outside without a phone, but that functionality carries quite a cost, both in terms of the substantial cost of the watch and the monthly subscription of the inReach service to enable the service. Fortunately it is not reliant on your phone carrier so works with all brand of smartphone and carrier.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a killer gadget for someone who hates being weighed down by their phone when jogging, cycling or hiking, but still wants to be locatable and reachable. For everyone else, it is a significant expense when the superb Fenix 8 already exists.
Pros: LTE and satellite messaging, high-luminance OLED display, tracks all activities with best-in-class GPS, integrated torch, phone and standalone commands, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, full offline maps and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre diving, buttons and touch.
Drawbacks: extremely costly, LTE and orbital features need monthly payment, restricted Garmin Pay bank compatibility, voice capabilities are sluggish, basic wearable features versus competing watches.
