This newest version of Garmin's top-tier Fenix adventure watch introduces a life-saving capability: phone-free messaging and SOS alerts using 4G LTE or satellite links.
This Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the previously outstanding Fenix 8 by incorporating cutting-edge cellular tech, plus an optional state-of-the-art microLED display in a limited edition. It is Garmin's top device and designed to be the single tool required to explore virtually anywhere and track all your movements.
That positions it as an very pricey proposition, priced from £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED version and climbing to a substantial £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm variant with microLED screen – nearly double the price of the standard Fenix 8.
You do receive a significant functionality for your money, with best-in-class fitness, movement and adventure tracking. Its full offline mapping of the world can automatically guide you back to the trail if you lose your way without a phone, and appear great on the sizable, crisp and super-bright touchscreen.
The Fenix 8 Pro is only offered in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, omitting the smaller 43mm size available in other devices, so it is a big watch for bigger wrists. However the 47mm OLED model as reviewed boasts an additional day of watch battery life despite the screen always active, enduring a solid eight to nine days between charging.
Phone-Free Messaging, Calls and Live Tracking
Garmin operates its own inReach LTE (4G) and orbital service plan instead of relying on a watch plan linked to your mobile provider, like other smartwatches. But unlike Apple or Google's satellite-capable products, emergency communication is not provided for free.
Rather, subscriptions begin from £7.99 or similar a month, which provides limitless LTE SMS and audio messages, call functionality and LiveTrack position sharing – so your friends or loved ones can monitor you while engaged in jogging, cycling or comparable activities – plus emergency orbital SOS alerts.
Location updates and messages over satellite are then billed additionally, with more expensive subscriptions offering different quotas of orbital usage, climbing to a £50 a month all-inclusive plan. The watch comes with a 30-day free trial so you can test out the service.
Once you have completed setup, you simply head out the door without your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You cannot use it for streaming music or comparable tasks, but you are able to make and take calls, send texts and overall stay connected with your relatives and friends.
When you text someone, Garmin sends them an SMS from a arbitrary number, which they can respond to back to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger app, you can then communicate back and forth using typed or voice messages, and initiate voice calls. Your recipient does not need a Garmin profile to use the Messenger application, just a mobile number is sufficient to register for texts.
Messaging on the watch works fine but typing out texts on the small on-screen keyboard is slow. It has 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 lengthy conversations as the quality is less than ideal.
LiveTrack is the handiest function. You can set it up to on its own transmit a URL to chosen contacts every time you begin an exercise, so they can follow your real time position on a map. It’s excellent for monitoring competition performance, but it mostly acts as a utility for someone you trust to know your location in case something happens. It has typically functioned well, although the real location has occasionally been delayed when transitioning in and out of good LTE signal.
These capabilities 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, position updates and SOS SOS.
A guide shows you how to locate the clear view to the satellite, which then sends and receives communications within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was surprisingly easy to use and could be a crucial lifeline, however it is important to note that satellite coverage is restricted to the US continent, most of Canada, and the majority of Europe excluding parts of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees latitude.
Environmental Impact
The watch is generally repairable with options offered through the customer service site. The battery is rated to maintain at least 90% of its original capacity after two years of weekly charging. The watch does not contain any recycled materials. Garmin provides disposal schemes on new purchases.
Price
This Fenix 8 Pro costs from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The additional Garmin inReach subscription packages begin from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Conclusion
The Fenix 8 Pro takes a fantastic outdoor watch in the regular Fenix 8 and adds LTE for texting, calls and LiveTrack – plus orbital communication, location update and emergency SOS for when you’re out of signal.
The result is an increasingly remarkable outdoor tool for those that desire to be phone-free. If you wish to have someone keep an eye on you remotely while exercising after dark or in the remote areas, the Garmin does so without needing anything else.
This is very liberating to be outdoors without a phone, but that capability carries quite a price, both in terms of the colossal price of the watch and the recurring fee of the inReach service to provide the service. At least it isn’t dependent on your phone provider so functions with all make of smartphone and network.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier gadget for someone who hates being burdened by their phone when running, cycling or hiking, but still wants to be trackable and contactable. For everyone else, it is a lot of money when the superb Fenix 8 already exists.
Pros: LTE and orbital messaging, super-bright OLED screen, monitors all activities with premier GPS, built-in torch, phone and standalone voice control, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, full offline maps and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre diving, physical controls and touchscreen.
Cons: extremely costly, LTE and orbital functions need ongoing subscription, limited Garmin Pay bank compatibility, voice features are sluggish, basic smartwatch features compared with competing watches.
