This most recent iteration of Garmin's premium Fenix outdoor timepiece introduces a life-saving capability: phone-free messaging and emergency messaging using 4G LTE or orbital connections.
This Fenix 8 Pro enhances the previously outstanding Fenix 8 by adding new cellular tech, along with an available state-of-the-art microLED screen in a special edition. It is the brand's premier model and engineered to be the only gadget needed to venture almost anywhere and monitor every activity.
That makes it an extremely pricey option, 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 variant with microLED screen – almost twice the cost of the standard Fenix 8.
Users get a significant features for your investment, with industry-leading fitness, activity and adventure tracking. The complete offline mapping of the globe can automatically direct you return to the path if you lose your way without a phone, and appear excellent on the sizable, sharp and high-luminance touchscreen.
This Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively offered in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, not the smaller 43mm version found in other models, so it is a big watch for bigger wrists. However the 47mm OLED version as tested boasts an additional day of smartwatch battery life even with the display always active, enduring a solid eight to nine days between charging.
Phone-Free Texting, Calls and Real-Time Location
The company operates its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and satellite service service instead of depending on a watch plan tied to your mobile provider, like other smartwatches. However in contrast to competing satellite-enabled devices, SOS messaging is not included for free.
Rather, subscriptions start at £7.99 or equivalent a month, which includes unlimited LTE text and voice messaging, calls and LiveTrack location sharing – so your friends or loved ones can keep an eye on you while out jogging, cycling or similar activities – along with SOS satellite SOS alerts.
Location updates and messages via orbital are then charged additionally, with more expensive subscriptions offering different quotas of satellite usage, climbing to a £50 a month unlimited plan. The watch includes a 30-day free trial so you can evaluate the service.
Once you have completed setup, you simply venture outside without your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You can not use it for playing music or similar activities, but you can make and take calls, dispatch texts and overall keep in touch with your family and friends.
Whenever you text someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a random number, which they can respond to back to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger app, you can then message back and forth using text or voice messages, and initiate voice calls. Your contact is not required to have a Garmin profile to use the Messenger app, just a mobile number is sufficient to sign up for texts.
Texting on the watch works fine but typing out texts on the small on-screen keyboard is slow. It has a collection of customisable pre-set responses you can send to expedite communication. Spoken messages and calls perform acceptably, though as with most smartwatches, you’re not going to wish to use it for lengthy discussions as the audio clarity is less than fantastic.
LiveTrack is the handiest function. You can set it up to on its own transmit a link to selected contacts every time you start an exercise, so they can track your real time location on a map. It’s excellent for monitoring competition performance, but it primarily acts as a utility for someone you trust to be aware of your location in case an incident occurs. It has typically worked well, though the actual location has occasionally lagged when transitioning in and out of good LTE signal.
All of these features are accessible on other Garmin watches if you bring your phone with you, but in areas where LTE does not reach, the orbital activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, location updates and SOS SOS.
A guide shows you how to locate 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 vital lifeline, however it is essential to remember that orbital coverage is limited to the US continent, most of Canada, and most of Europe excluding parts of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees north.
Environmental Impact
The watch is generally serviceable with services offered through the support portal. The battery is rated to maintain at least 90% of its initial capacity after two years of regular charging. The watch lacks any recycled materials. Garmin offers 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 service plans begin from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Verdict
The Fenix 8 Pro builds on a fantastic outdoor watch in the standard Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for texting, calls and LiveTrack – plus satellite messaging, location update and SOS SOS for when you’re out of coverage.
The result is an increasingly impressive outdoor tool for those that want to be phone-free. If you want to have someone monitor you remotely while running after dark or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin accomplishes this without needing anything else.
This is quite freeing to be outside without a phone, but that functionality comes at quite a price, both in terms of the substantial cost of the watch and the recurring fee of the inReach plan to enable the features. Fortunately it is not reliant on your phone provider so functions with any make of smartphone and carrier.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier device for someone who dislikes being burdened by their phone when running, cycling or trekking, but nevertheless wants to be locatable and reachable. For other users, it is a lot of expense when the excellent Fenix 8 already exists.
Pros: LTE and orbital messaging, high-luminance OLED screen, tracks all activities with premier 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 diving, physical controls and touch.
Cons: extremely expensive, LTE and orbital features need monthly subscription, restricted Garmin Pay bank support, voice features are sluggish, basic smartwatch features compared with Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
