This latest model of the flagship Fenix outdoor timepiece introduces a potentially lifesaving feature: no-phone communication and emergency alerts via 4G LTE or satellite links.
The Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the previously impressive Fenix 8 by incorporating cutting-edge mobile technology, plus an optional advanced microLED screen in a special edition. It is the brand's premier model and engineered to be the only gadget required to venture virtually anywhere and track all your movements.
That makes it an extremely pricey option, starting at £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED version and climbing to a colossal £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm edition with microLED display – nearly double the price of the standard Fenix 8.
You do get a significant features for your money, with best-in-class fitness, activity and outdoor monitoring. Its complete offline maps of the world can seamlessly guide you return to the path if you get lost without a phone, and look great on the sizable, crisp and super-bright touchscreen.
This Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively available in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, not the more compact 43mm size found in other models, so it is a large watch for bigger wrists. However the 47mm OLED version as reviewed boasts an additional day of smartwatch battery life despite the display always active, enduring a solid eight to nine days between charges.
Phone-Free Messaging, Calling and Real-Time Location
The company operates its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and orbital service service rather than depending on a watch plan tied to your phone carrier, like other wearables. However unlike Apple or Google's satellite-capable products, SOS communication is not included for free.
Rather, plans start at £7.99 or equivalent a month, which provides limitless LTE text and voice messages, call functionality and LiveTrack location tracking – so your contacts or loved ones can keep an eye on you while out jogging, cycling or similar pursuits – along with SOS orbital SOS messaging.
Check-ins and texts over orbital are then billed on top, with higher-tier subscriptions offering various quotas of orbital use, climbing to a £50 a month unlimited subscription. The watch includes a 30-day free trial so you can evaluate the service.
Once you have completed setup, you just venture outside minus your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You cannot use it for streaming music or similar tasks, but you can place and receive calls, send texts and generally stay connected with your relatives and companions.
Whenever you text someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a arbitrary phone number, which they can respond to directly to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger application, you can then communicate reciprocally using text or spoken communications, and make voice calls. Your contact does not need a Garmin profile to use the Messenger application, just a phone number is sufficient to sign up for texts.
Texting on the watch functions adequately but typing out texts on the small on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It has a set of customisable canned replies you can use to expedite communication. Spoken recordings and calls work OK, though as with the majority of smartwatches, you’re unlikely going to wish to use it for lengthy conversations as the quality is less than ideal.
LiveTrack is the most useful feature. You can configure to on its own send a URL to chosen contacts every time you start an exercise, so they can follow your live position on a map. It’s great for following competition progress, but it mostly serves as a utility for someone you trust to know your location in case something happens. It has generally worked effectively, although the real position has sometimes lagged when moving in and out of good LTE signal.
These capabilities are accessible on other Garmin devices if you carry your phone with you, but in locations where LTE lacks coverage, the orbital activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, location check-ins and emergency SOS.
A on-screen assistance shows you how to locate the clear view to the orbital system, which then transmits and gets messages within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was unexpectedly straightforward to use and could be a crucial lifeline, though it is essential to note that satellite service is limited to the US mainland, most of Canada, and most of Europe except for regions of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees north.
Sustainability
The watch is generally serviceable with services offered via the customer service portal. The battery is rated to maintain at least 90% of its initial power after two years of weekly charging. The watch lacks any reused materials. Garmin offers recycling schemes on new purchases.
Cost
The 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).
Conclusion
This Fenix 8 Pro builds on a excellent adventure watch in the standard Fenix 8 and adds LTE for texting, calls and LiveTrack – plus orbital communication, location update and emergency SOS for when you’re out of coverage.
Outcome is an even more impressive adventure device for those that want to be phone-free. If you wish to have someone monitor you remotely while running after dark or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin accomplishes this without requiring anything else.
This is very liberating to be outside without a phone, but that capability carries a significant price, both in terms of the colossal cost of the watch and the monthly fee of the inReach plan to provide the features. At least it is not dependent on your phone carrier so works with all brand of smartphone and carrier.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier gadget for someone who hates being burdened by their phone when jogging, cycling or trekking, but nevertheless wants to be trackable and reachable. For everyone else, it is a significant expense when the superb Fenix 8 is already available.
Advantages: LTE and orbital communication, super-bright OLED display, monitors all activities with premier GPS, built-in torch, voice and offline commands, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, complete offline maps and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre diving, buttons and touch.
Cons: extremely expensive, LTE and orbital features need ongoing subscription, limited Garmin Pay bank support, speech features are slow, basic smartwatch features compared with Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
