This latest iteration of Garmin's top-tier Fenix adventure timepiece includes a life-saving feature: no-phone communication and emergency messaging using 4G LTE or satellite links.
The Fenix 8 Pro builds upon the already outstanding Fenix 8 by incorporating new mobile tech, plus an available state-of-the-art microLED screen in a limited edition. It is Garmin's top model and designed to be the only tool required to venture virtually any location and track every activity.
That positions it as an very pricey option, priced from £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 display – nearly twice the price of the regular Fenix 8.
You do get a lot of features for your money, with best-in-class workout, activity and outdoor monitoring. The full offline maps of the world can automatically direct you back to the path if you get lost absent a phone, and look excellent on the large, sharp and high-luminance touchscreen.
This Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively available in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, omitting the smaller 43mm size available in other models, so it is a big watch for larger wrists. However the 47mm OLED model as tested does have an extra day of watch battery life even with the display always active, lasting a solid eight to nine days between charges.
No-Phone Messaging, Calls and Real-Time Location
Garmin operates its own inReach LTE (4G) and satellite subscription plan instead of depending on a watch plan linked to your phone carrier, like other smartwatches. But unlike Apple or Google's satellite-enabled devices, emergency communication is not provided for no cost.
Instead, plans start at £7.99 or similar a month, which includes unlimited LTE text and voice messaging, calls and LiveTrack location sharing – so your friends or loved ones can monitor you while out running, cycling or similar pursuits – along with emergency orbital SOS alerts.
Check-ins and texts over satellite are then charged on top, with more expensive plans including various allowances of orbital usage, increasing to a £50 a month all-inclusive subscription. The watch comes with a 30-day free trial so you can evaluate the service.
Once you have got it set up, you just venture outside without your phone and the watch will link to LTE. You cannot use it for playing music or similar activities, but you can make and take calls, dispatch texts and overall keep in touch with your relatives and companions.
When you text someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a random phone number, which they can respond to back to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger app, you can then message back and forth via typed or spoken communications, and initiate voice calls. Your contact is not required to have a Garmin profile to use the Messenger app, only a phone number is sufficient to register for texts.
Messaging on the watch works fine but composing texts on the small on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It includes a collection of personalizable canned replies you can send to speed things up. Spoken recordings and calls work acceptably, though as with most wearables, you’re unlikely going to wish to use it for extended conversations as the audio clarity is less than fantastic.
LiveTrack is the handiest feature. You can configure to on its own transmit a link to selected contacts whenever you start an activity, so they can follow your live location on a map. It’s excellent for monitoring race performance, but it primarily serves as a tool for someone you trust to know your location in case something happens. It has typically worked effectively, although the actual position has sometimes been delayed when moving in and out of strong LTE signal.
These features are accessible on other Garmin watches if you bring your phone with you, but in areas where LTE does not reach, the satellite activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, position check-ins and SOS SOS.
A on-screen assistance displays you how to find the clear view to the orbital system, 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 most of Europe excluding regions of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees latitude.
Environmental Impact
The watch is typically repairable with options available through the support portal. The battery is certified to retain at least 90% of its original power after two years of regular charging. The watch lacks any recycled components. Garmin provides disposal schemes on recent purchases.
Price
The Fenix 8 Pro costs from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The additional Garmin inReach subscription plans cost from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Verdict
This Fenix 8 Pro takes a fantastic adventure watch in the regular Fenix 8 and adds LTE for messaging, calls and LiveTrack – plus satellite communication, location update and emergency SOS for when you’re out of signal.
Outcome is an increasingly remarkable outdoor device for those that desire to be phone-free. If you wish to have someone monitor you from afar while exercising out at night 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 a significant cost, both in terms of the substantial price of the watch and the monthly subscription of the inReach service to provide the service. Fortunately it is not reliant on your phone carrier so functions with all brand of smartphone and network.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a killer gadget for someone who dislikes being weighed down by their phone when jogging, cycling or hiking, but nevertheless desires to be trackable and reachable. For everyone else, it is a lot of money when the superb Fenix 8 is already available.
Pros: LTE and orbital messaging, high-luminance OLED screen, tracks everything with premier GPS, integrated flashlight, phone and standalone commands, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, full offline mapping and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre diving, physical controls and touch.
Drawbacks: extremely expensive, LTE and satellite features require ongoing subscription, limited Garmin Pay bank compatibility, voice features are slow, basic smartwatch functionality compared with Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
