The latest version of Garmin's premium Fenix adventure watch brings a life-saving feature: phone-free messaging and emergency alerts using 4G LTE or orbital links.
The Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the already impressive Fenix 8 by adding cutting-edge cellular tech, along with an available advanced microLED screen in a limited edition. It is the brand's premier device and designed to be the single tool needed to venture almost any location and track every activity.
That makes it an very pricey proposition, 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 regular Fenix 8.
You do get a significant functionality for your investment, with best-in-class workout, movement and outdoor monitoring. Its full offline mapping of the globe can automatically guide you return to the path if you get lost without a phone, and appear excellent on the large, sharp and high-luminance display.
This Fenix 8 Pro is only offered in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, not the smaller 43mm version available in other models, so it is a big watch for bigger wrists. However the 47mm OLED model as reviewed does have an extra day of watch battery life despite the screen always active, enduring a reliable eight to nine days between charging.
No-Phone Texting, Calls and Live Tracking
Garmin operates its own inReach LTE (4G) and orbital subscription service rather than depending on a watch plan linked to your phone carrier, as with other smartwatches. But unlike competing satellite-enabled devices, SOS communication is not included for free.
Instead, plans begin from £7.99 or similar a month, which provides unlimited LTE SMS and voice messaging, call functionality and LiveTrack location sharing – so your contacts or loved ones can monitor you while out jogging, cycling or comparable pursuits – along with emergency satellite SOS messaging.
Check-ins and messages via satellite are then billed additionally, with higher-tier plans offering different quotas of satellite usage, climbing to a £50 a month unlimited plan. The watch comes with a 30-day trial period so you can evaluate the functionality.
Once you have completed setup, you simply venture the door without your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You can not use it for streaming music or similar tasks, but you are able to make and take calls, dispatch texts and overall stay connected with your relatives and companions.
Whenever you text someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a random phone number, which they can reply to directly to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger app, you can then message back and forth using typed or voice messages, and initiate voice calls. Your contact is not required to have a Garmin account to use the Messenger application, only a phone number is sufficient to register for texts.
Messaging on the watch works adequately but composing texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It has a collection of customisable pre-set responses you can use to speed things up. Spoken recordings and calls perform OK, though as with most smartwatches, you’re not going to want to use it for lengthy discussions as the audio clarity is not ideal.
LiveTrack is the most useful function. You can configure to automatically transmit a URL to chosen contacts whenever you start an exercise, so they can track your live position on a map. It’s great for following competition progress, but it primarily serves as a tool for someone you rely on to know your whereabouts in case an incident occurs. It has typically functioned effectively, although the real position has occasionally been delayed when moving in and out of good LTE coverage.
All of these features are accessible on other Garmin watches if you carry your phone with you, but in locations where LTE does not reach, the orbital kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, location check-ins and SOS SOS.
A guide shows you how to find the line of sight to the satellite, which then transmits and gets messages within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was unexpectedly straightforward to use and could be a vital lifeline, though it is important to note that satellite service is limited to the US mainland, most of Canada, and the majority of Europe excluding parts of Scandinavia above 65 degrees latitude.
Sustainability
The watch is generally repairable with services available through the customer service site. The battery is rated to maintain at least 90% of its initial capacity after two years of regular charging. The watch lacks any reused materials. Garmin offers disposal schemes 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).
Conclusion
The Fenix 8 Pro builds on a excellent outdoor watch in the standard Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for messaging, calls and LiveTrack – along with orbital messaging, location update and SOS SOS for when you’re out of signal.
Outcome is an even more remarkable outdoor device for those that desire to be phone-free. If you wish to have someone monitor you from afar while running after dark or in the remote areas, the Garmin accomplishes this without needing anything else.
It is very freeing to be outside without a phone, but that functionality carries quite a cost, both in terms of the substantial price of the watch and the recurring fee of the inReach plan to enable the service. At least it is not dependent on your phone carrier so functions with any brand of smartphone and carrier.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a killer device for someone who dislikes being weighed down by their phone when running, biking or hiking, but still desires to be locatable and contactable. For everyone else, it is a significant expense when the superb Fenix 8 is already available.
Advantages: LTE and orbital communication, super-bright OLED screen, tracks everything with best-in-class GPS, integrated flashlight, voice and standalone commands, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, complete offline mapping and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre diving, physical controls and touch.
Cons: extremely costly, LTE and orbital features require ongoing subscription, restricted Garmin Pay bank support, voice features are slow, basic wearable features versus Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
