This latest version of Garmin's top-tier Fenix adventure timepiece introduces a potentially lifesaving feature: no-phone messaging and emergency messaging using 4G LTE or satellite connections.
This Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the previously outstanding Fenix 8 by incorporating cutting-edge cellular tech, along with an available advanced microLED display in a limited edition. This is the brand's premier device and designed to be the only tool required to venture virtually any location and monitor all your movements.
This positions it as an very pricey option, starting at £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED version and reaching a substantial £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm variant with microLED screen – almost twice the price of the standard Fenix 8.
Users get a significant functionality for your investment, with best-in-class workout, activity and outdoor tracking. Its complete offline mapping of the world can seamlessly guide you back to the trail if you lose your way absent a phone, and look great on the large, sharp and high-luminance touchscreen.
The Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively available in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, not the smaller 43mm size found in other devices, so it is a large watch for bigger wrists. However the 47mm OLED version as tested does have an additional day of watch battery life despite the display always active, lasting a reliable eight to nine days between charging.
No-Phone Texting, Calling and Real-Time Location
The company operates its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and orbital service plan rather than relying on a watch plan linked to your mobile carrier, like other smartwatches. However unlike Apple or Google's satellite-capable devices, SOS messaging is not provided for free.
Instead, plans start at £7.99 or equivalent a month, which includes unlimited LTE SMS and voice messages, call functionality and LiveTrack position sharing – so your contacts or family can monitor you while engaged in jogging, biking or similar pursuits – along with emergency orbital SOS alerts.
Location updates and texts via satellite are then billed on top, with higher-tier plans including different allowances of satellite use, increasing to a £50 a month all-inclusive subscription. The watch comes with a 30-day trial period so you can evaluate the service.
After you have completed setup, you just venture the door minus your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You cannot use it for playing music or similar activities, but you are able to place and receive calls, dispatch texts and generally stay connected with your relatives and companions.
Whenever you message someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a random number, which they can reply to directly to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger app, you can then message reciprocally via typed or voice communications, and initiate 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 fine but typing out texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is slow. It has a set of personalizable canned replies you can send to speed things up. Spoken messages and calls work OK, though as with the majority of smartwatches, you’re unlikely going to wish to use it for lengthy discussions as the quality is not fantastic.
LiveTrack is the handiest function. You can set it up to automatically transmit a link to selected contacts every time you start an activity, so they can follow your live location on a map. It’s great for following race progress, but it primarily serves as a tool for someone you rely on to be aware of your whereabouts in case something happens. It has typically functioned effectively, though the real location has occasionally lagged when moving in and out of strong LTE coverage.
All of these features are available on other Garmin watches if you carry your phone with you, but in areas where LTE does not reach, the satellite kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, location check-ins and emergency SOS.
A guide shows you how to find the line of sight to the orbital system, which then sends and receives messages within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was surprisingly easy to use and could be a vital safety feature, though it is essential to note that orbital service is restricted to the US mainland, the majority of Canada, and most of Europe excluding regions of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees north.
Environmental Impact
The watch is typically serviceable with options offered via the support portal. The battery is rated to retain at least 90% of its initial capacity after two years of weekly charging. The watch lacks any reused components. Garmin offers recycling schemes on recent purchases.
Price
This Fenix 8 Pro costs from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The optional Garmin inReach subscription packages begin from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Conclusion
The Fenix 8 Pro takes a fantastic adventure watch in the standard Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for messaging, calls and LiveTrack – plus satellite messaging, location update and SOS SOS for when you’re without signal.
The result is an increasingly remarkable outdoor tool for those that want to be unplugged. If you wish to have someone keep an eye on you remotely while running after dark or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin accomplishes this without requiring anything else.
This is quite freeing to be outdoors without a phone, but that functionality carries quite a price, both in terms of the colossal price of the watch and the recurring fee of the inReach service to enable the features. At least it is not dependent on your phone provider so works with any make of smartphone and network.
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 money when the excellent Fenix 8 is already available.
Pros: LTE and orbital communication, super-bright OLED display, monitors all activities with premier GPS, integrated torch, voice and standalone commands, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, full offline maps and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre underwater use, buttons and touchscreen.
Drawbacks: extremely expensive, LTE and satellite functions require monthly payment, restricted Garmin Pay financial support, voice features are sluggish, limited wearable features versus competing watches.
