This newest version of Garmin's top-tier Fenix outdoor watch includes a life-saving feature: phone-free messaging and SOS alerts using 4G LTE or satellite links.
This Fenix 8 Pro enhances the already impressive Fenix 8 by incorporating cutting-edge cellular technology, along with an available state-of-the-art microLED screen in a limited edition. It is Garmin's top model and engineered to be the single tool required to explore almost anywhere and monitor all your movements.
This makes it an very pricey proposition, 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 edition with microLED screen – nearly twice the price of the regular Fenix 8.
Users receive a significant functionality for your investment, with best-in-class fitness, movement and adventure tracking. Its full offline maps of the world can seamlessly direct you back to the trail if you get lost absent a phone, and appear great on the large, crisp and high-luminance display.
The Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively available in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, omitting the smaller 43mm size found in other models, so it is a large watch for bigger wrists. However the 47mm OLED model as reviewed boasts an additional day of smartwatch battery life despite the screen on all the time, lasting a solid eight to nine days between charging.
No-Phone Texting, Calls and Real-Time Location
Garmin operates its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and orbital subscription service instead of depending on a watch plan tied to your phone carrier, as with other smartwatches. But in contrast to Apple or Google's satellite-enabled products, SOS communication is not provided for free.
Rather, subscriptions start at £7.99 or similar a month, which provides limitless LTE SMS and voice messages, call functionality and LiveTrack position sharing – so your contacts or family can keep an eye on you while engaged in running, cycling or similar activities – plus emergency satellite SOS alerts.
Location updates and messages via satellite are then charged on top, with higher-tier plans including various quotas of satellite usage, increasing to a £50 a month all-inclusive plan. The watch includes a 30-day free trial so you can test out the functionality.
After you have got it set up, you just head out outside without your phone and the watch will link to LTE. You can not use it for playing music or comparable tasks, but you can make and take calls, send texts and generally keep in touch with your relatives and companions.
Whenever you text someone, Garmin sends them an SMS from a random phone number, which they can respond to directly to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger application, you can then communicate reciprocally using typed or voice messages, and initiate voice calls. Your contact is not required to have a Garmin profile to use the Messenger app, only a mobile number is sufficient to register for texts.
Texting on the watch works fine but typing out texts on the small on-screen keyboard is slow. It includes a collection of personalizable pre-set responses you can use to speed things up. Spoken messages and calls perform OK, though as with the majority of smartwatches, you’re not going to want to use it for extended conversations as the audio clarity is not ideal.
LiveTrack is the handiest function. You can configure to on its own send a URL to chosen contacts every time you start an exercise, so they can track your live position on a map. It’s excellent for following competition progress, but it primarily acts as a utility for someone you trust to be aware of your location in case something happens. It has typically functioned well, though the real position has sometimes lagged when moving in and out of strong LTE signal.
All of these features are accessible on other Garmin devices if you carry your phone with you, but in locations where LTE lacks coverage, the satellite kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, location check-ins and emergency SOS.
A guide shows you how to locate the line of sight to the orbital system, which then transmits and gets communications within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was unexpectedly easy to use and could be a vital safety feature, though it is important to note that orbital service is limited to the US continent, most of Canada, and the majority of Europe except for parts of Scandinavia above 65 degrees north.
Environmental Impact
The watch is typically repairable with options offered through the customer service portal. The battery is certified to maintain at least 90% of its initial capacity after two years of regular charging. The watch lacks any recycled materials. Garmin offers recycling programs on new purchases.
Cost
This Fenix 8 Pro is priced from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The optional Garmin inReach service packages cost from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Conclusion
This Fenix 8 Pro takes a fantastic adventure watch in the standard Fenix 8 and adds LTE for messaging, call functionality and LiveTrack – along with orbital messaging, check-in and SOS SOS for when you’re out of coverage.
The result is an even more impressive adventure tool for those that want to be phone-free. If you wish to have someone monitor you remotely while exercising out at night or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin does so without needing anything else.
It is very freeing to be outdoors without a phone, but that capability comes at a significant cost, both in terms of the colossal price of the watch and the recurring fee of the inReach plan to provide the service. Fortunately it isn’t dependent on your phone carrier so works with any brand of smartphone and carrier.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a killer gadget for someone who dislikes being burdened by their phone when running, biking or hiking, but still desires to be trackable and contactable. For other users, it is a significant money when the excellent Fenix 8 already exists.
Pros: LTE and orbital communication, high-luminance OLED display, monitors everything with best-in-class GPS, built-in flashlight, voice and standalone commands, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, full offline maps and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre underwater use, buttons and touchscreen.
Cons: extremely costly, LTE and satellite features need monthly payment, limited Garmin Pay bank support, voice features are sluggish, basic smartwatch functionality versus competing watches.
