The most recent iteration of the top-tier Fenix adventure timepiece includes a potentially lifesaving feature: no-phone communication and SOS messaging using 4G LTE or satellite links.
This Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the previously impressive Fenix 8 by adding new mobile tech, along with an optional advanced microLED screen in a special edition. This is Garmin's top device and designed to be the only tool needed to venture almost any location and track every activity.
That positions it as an very pricey proposition, starting at £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED version and reaching a colossal £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm edition with microLED display – almost double the price of the regular Fenix 8.
Users receive a lot of functionality for your investment, with best-in-class workout, movement and outdoor monitoring. Its complete offline maps of the globe can automatically guide you back to the trail if you get lost without a phone, and appear great on the sizable, sharp and super-bright touchscreen.
This Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively offered in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, not the smaller 43mm size found in other models, so it is a large watch for bigger wrists. However the 47mm OLED model as tested does have an additional day of watch battery life even with the screen on all the time, enduring a solid eight to nine days between charges.
No-Phone Messaging, Calling and Live Tracking
The company uses its own inReach LTE (4G) and satellite service plan instead of relying on a watch plan linked to your mobile provider, as with other smartwatches. However in contrast to Apple or Google's satellite-enabled devices, emergency messaging is not included for free.
Instead, plans start at £7.99 or equivalent a month, which provides unlimited LTE SMS and voice messages, calls and LiveTrack position tracking – so your friends or family can monitor you while out jogging, biking or similar activities – along with emergency satellite SOS messaging.
Check-ins and texts over orbital are then billed additionally, with higher-tier plans offering various allowances of orbital usage, increasing to a £50 a month unlimited plan. The watch comes with a 30-day free trial so you can test out the functionality.
Once you have got it set up, you simply head out the door minus your phone and the watch will link to LTE. You can not use it for playing music or similar activities, but you are able to make and take calls, send texts and generally stay connected with your relatives and companions.
When you message someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a random phone number, which they can reply to back to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger application, you can then message back and forth using text or voice communications, and make voice calls. Your recipient does not need a Garmin account to use the Messenger app, just a mobile number is enough to register for texts.
Texting on the watch functions adequately but typing out texts on the small on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It includes a set of personalizable canned responses you can use to speed things up. Voice recordings and calls perform OK, though as with most wearables, you’re unlikely going to want to use it for extended discussions as the audio clarity is less than fantastic.
LiveTrack is the most useful feature. You can configure to on its own send a URL to selected contacts whenever you begin an exercise, so they can follow your live position on a map. It’s excellent for monitoring competition performance, but it primarily serves as a utility for someone you trust to be aware of your whereabouts in case something happens. It has typically functioned effectively, although the real location has sometimes lagged when transitioning in and out of good LTE coverage.
These capabilities are accessible on other Garmin devices if you carry your phone with you, but in areas where LTE lacks coverage, the orbital activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, location check-ins and emergency SOS.
A guide shows you how to find the clear view to the satellite, which then sends and receives communications within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was unexpectedly straightforward to use and could be a crucial lifeline, though it is important to remember that orbital coverage is restricted to the US mainland, most of Canada, and the majority of Europe except for parts of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees north.
Sustainability
The watch is generally repairable with services offered through the support portal. The battery is rated to retain at least 90% of its initial capacity after two years of regular charging. The watch does not contain any reused components. Garmin offers disposal schemes on new purchases.
Price
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 cost from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Conclusion
This Fenix 8 Pro builds on a excellent outdoor watch in the standard Fenix 8 and adds LTE for texting, calls and LiveTrack – along with orbital messaging, check-in and emergency SOS for when you’re out of signal.
The result is an increasingly remarkable adventure device for those that desire to be phone-free. If you wish to have someone keep an eye on you remotely while exercising out at night or in the remote areas, the Garmin accomplishes this without requiring anything else.
It is quite liberating to be outside without a phone, but that capability carries quite a cost, both in terms of the colossal price of the watch and the monthly subscription of the inReach plan to enable the features. Fortunately it is not dependent on your phone carrier so works with any brand of smartphone and carrier.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a killer device for someone who hates being burdened by their phone when running, biking or trekking, but still desires to be trackable and reachable. For everyone else, it is a lot of money when the excellent Fenix 8 is already available.
Advantages: LTE and orbital messaging, high-luminance OLED display, monitors everything with best-in-class GPS, integrated torch, phone and offline commands, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, full offline mapping and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre diving, physical controls and touchscreen.
Cons: extremely expensive, LTE and satellite functions require ongoing payment, restricted Garmin Pay financial compatibility, speech capabilities are sluggish, limited smartwatch features versus Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
