This latest model of the flagship Fenix outdoor watch includes a life-saving feature: no-phone communication and emergency alerts via 4G LTE or orbital links.
The Fenix 8 Pro builds upon the previously outstanding Fenix 8 by incorporating new cellular tech, plus an optional advanced microLED screen in a special edition. It is the brand's premier device and designed to be the single tool needed to venture almost anywhere and monitor every activity.
That makes it an extremely pricey proposition, starting at £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED model and climbing to a substantial £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm variant with microLED display – almost twice the cost of the regular Fenix 8.
Users receive a lot of functionality for your money, with best-in-class fitness, activity and adventure monitoring. Its full offline maps of the world can automatically guide you back to the trail if you get lost absent a phone, and appear great on the large, crisp and high-luminance display.
This Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively offered in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, not the smaller 43mm size available in other models, so it is a big watch for bigger wrists. But the 47mm OLED model as reviewed does have an additional day of watch battery life even with the screen on all the time, enduring a solid eight to nine days between charging.
Phone-Free Texting, Calling and Real-Time Location
Garmin operates its own inReach LTE (4G) and satellite subscription plan instead of relying on a watch plan tied to your mobile carrier, as with other wearables. However in contrast to Apple or Google's satellite-capable devices, SOS communication is not included for free.
Instead, plans start at £7.99 or similar a month, which provides unlimited LTE SMS and audio messaging, call functionality and LiveTrack location sharing – so your friends or family can keep an eye on you while engaged in jogging, biking or comparable activities – along with emergency satellite SOS messaging.
Check-ins and messages over orbital are then billed on top, with higher-tier subscriptions offering various allowances of satellite usage, climbing to a £50 a month unlimited subscription. The watch includes a 30-day free trial so you can test out the functionality.
Once you have completed setup, you simply head out the door without your phone and the watch will connect 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 family and friends.
Whenever you text someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a random phone number, which they can respond to back to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger app, you can then message reciprocally via text or spoken communications, and initiate voice calls. Your recipient is not required to have a Garmin profile to use the Messenger application, just a phone number is sufficient to sign up for texts.
Texting on the watch works adequately but composing texts on the small on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It has a collection of personalizable pre-set responses you can use to speed things up. Voice recordings and calls work acceptably, although as with most smartwatches, you’re not going to want to use it for lengthy conversations as the quality is not ideal.
LiveTrack is the most useful function. You can configure to automatically send a URL to selected contacts every time you begin an activity, 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 rely on to be aware of your whereabouts in case an incident occurs. It has typically functioned well, although the actual location has occasionally been delayed when moving in and out of strong LTE signal.
All of these capabilities are accessible on other Garmin devices if you carry your phone with you, but in areas where LTE does not reach, the orbital activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, location updates and SOS SOS.
A on-screen assistance displays you how to locate 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 crucial safety feature, though it is essential to note that satellite coverage is limited to the US continent, most of Canada, and the majority of Europe except for parts of Scandinavia above 65 degrees latitude.
Environmental Impact
The watch is generally repairable with options available 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 offers recycling programs on new 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 subscription plans begin from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Verdict
The Fenix 8 Pro takes a excellent outdoor watch in the regular Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for messaging, calls and LiveTrack – plus satellite 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 keep an eye on you remotely while running after dark or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin does so without requiring additional gear.
This is quite freeing to be outside without a phone, but that capability carries quite a price, both in terms of the substantial price of the watch and the recurring fee of the inReach plan to enable the features. Fortunately it is not reliant on your phone provider so works with any brand of smartphone and carrier.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier device for someone who hates being burdened by their phone when running, cycling or trekking, but nevertheless wants to be locatable and contactable. For everyone else, it is a lot of money when the superb Fenix 8 already exists.
Advantages: LTE and orbital communication, super-bright OLED screen, monitors all activities with best-in-class GPS, integrated flashlight, voice and offline commands, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, full offline mapping and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre diving, buttons and touchscreen.
Drawbacks: extremely costly, LTE and satellite functions require ongoing subscription, restricted Garmin Pay bank support, speech capabilities are sluggish, basic smartwatch functionality compared with Apple/Google/Samsung watches.