The newest iteration of the flagship Fenix adventure timepiece includes a potentially lifesaving feature: no-phone messaging and emergency alerts using 4G LTE or satellite links.
The Fenix 8 Pro enhances the previously outstanding Fenix 8 by adding cutting-edge cellular tech, plus an optional advanced microLED display in a special edition. This is Garmin's top model and engineered to be the single gadget needed to explore virtually any location and monitor all your movements.
This makes it an extremely 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 display – almost double the cost of the standard Fenix 8.
Users get a significant features for your money, with best-in-class workout, movement and outdoor tracking. The complete offline mapping of the globe can automatically direct you return to the path if you lose your way absent a phone, and look excellent on the large, sharp and high-luminance display.
This Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively offered in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, omitting the smaller 43mm size available in other devices, so it is a large watch for bigger wrists. But the 47mm OLED version as reviewed does have an additional day of smartwatch battery life even with the display on all the time, enduring a reliable eight to nine days between charging.
Phone-Free Messaging, Calls and Live Tracking
Garmin operates its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and orbital subscription service rather than depending on a watch plan tied to your phone carrier, as with other wearables. But in contrast to competing satellite-enabled products, emergency messaging is not provided for free.
Instead, subscriptions start at £7.99 or equivalent a month, which provides unlimited LTE SMS and voice messaging, call functionality and LiveTrack location tracking – so your friends or family can monitor you while out running, cycling or comparable activities – plus SOS satellite SOS messaging.
Check-ins and texts over orbital are then charged on top, with more expensive plans offering various allowances of satellite usage, increasing to a £50 a month unlimited plan. The watch comes with a 30-day trial period so you can evaluate the functionality.
After you have got it set up, you just head out outside minus your phone and the watch will link to LTE. You cannot use it for streaming music or similar activities, but you are able to place and receive calls, send texts and overall keep in touch with your family and companions.
Whenever you message someone, Garmin sends them an SMS from a random phone number, which they can reply to back to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger app, you can then message reciprocally using typed or voice messages, and make voice calls. Your contact is not required to have a Garmin account to use the Messenger app, only a phone number is sufficient to sign up for texts.
Messaging on the watch works fine but composing texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It includes a collection of customisable canned replies you can use to expedite communication. Voice messages and calls perform acceptably, although as with most smartwatches, you’re not going to wish to use it for lengthy conversations as the audio clarity is not ideal.
LiveTrack is the most useful function. You can set it up to automatically transmit a URL to chosen contacts whenever you begin an exercise, so they can follow your live location on a map. It’s excellent for monitoring competition performance, but it mostly serves as a tool for someone you trust to know your whereabouts in case an incident occurs. It has generally worked effectively, though the real position has sometimes been delayed when transitioning in and out of good LTE coverage.
These features are accessible on other Garmin watches if you carry your phone with you, but in locations where LTE does not reach, the satellite activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, location updates and SOS SOS.
A guide displays you how to find the line of sight to the satellite, which then sends and receives 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 orbital service is limited to the US mainland, the majority of Canada, and most of Europe excluding parts of Scandinavia above 65 degrees north.
Sustainability
The watch is typically repairable with services offered via the support site. The battery is certified to retain at least 90% of its original capacity after two years of weekly charging. The watch does not contain any reused components. Garmin provides recycling schemes on recent purchases.
Price
The Fenix 8 Pro is priced from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The additional Garmin inReach subscription packages cost from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Conclusion
The Fenix 8 Pro takes a excellent outdoor watch in the standard Fenix 8 and adds LTE for messaging, call functionality and LiveTrack – along with satellite messaging, location update and SOS SOS for when you’re out of signal.
The result is an even more remarkable outdoor device for those that want to be unplugged. If you wish to have someone keep an eye on you from afar while exercising after dark or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin does so without requiring additional gear.
It is quite liberating to be outside without a phone, but that capability comes at quite a price, both in terms of the colossal price of the watch and the recurring subscription of the inReach plan to provide the service. Fortunately it isn’t reliant on your phone provider so functions with any make of smartphone and network.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a killer device for someone who hates being burdened by their phone when running, cycling or hiking, but nevertheless desires to be trackable and contactable. For other users, it is a lot of expense when the excellent Fenix 8 already exists.
Pros: LTE and orbital communication, super-bright OLED screen, tracks all activities with best-in-class GPS, built-in torch, phone and standalone voice control, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, complete offline mapping and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre underwater use, physical controls and touch.
Drawbacks: extremely expensive, LTE and satellite features require ongoing payment, limited Garmin Pay bank compatibility, speech capabilities are slow, basic wearable features compared with competing watches.
