This latest model of the top-tier Fenix outdoor watch brings a potentially lifesaving capability: no-phone messaging and emergency messaging using 4G LTE or orbital connections.
This Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the already impressive Fenix 8 by adding new cellular tech, plus an available advanced microLED screen in a special edition. It is Garmin's premier device and designed to be the single tool needed to explore virtually anywhere and track all your movements.
This positions it as an very expensive option, priced from £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED model and reaching a substantial £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm variant with microLED display – nearly double the price of the standard Fenix 8.
Users get a significant features for your money, with best-in-class workout, activity and adventure tracking. Its complete offline maps of the world can seamlessly direct you back to the trail if you lose your way absent a phone, and look excellent on the large, sharp and high-luminance touchscreen.
The Fenix 8 Pro is only offered in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, not the smaller 43mm size available in other models, so it is a big watch for larger wrists. However the 47mm OLED version as tested boasts an extra day of smartwatch battery life even with the screen always active, enduring a solid eight to nine days between charges.
No-Phone Texting, Calls and Real-Time Location
The company operates its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and orbital service plan rather than depending on a watch plan linked to your phone carrier, like other wearables. But in contrast to Apple or Google's satellite-capable products, SOS messaging is not included for free.
Instead, plans begin from £7.99 or similar a month, which provides unlimited LTE text and audio messages, calls and LiveTrack location tracking – so your friends or loved ones can monitor you while engaged in jogging, biking or similar activities – plus emergency satellite SOS messaging.
Location updates and messages over orbital are then charged additionally, with more expensive plans including various quotas of satellite usage, increasing to a £50 a month unlimited plan. The watch comes with a 30-day trial period so you can evaluate the service.
After you have completed setup, you just venture outside minus your phone and the watch will link to LTE. You can not use it for streaming music or comparable tasks, but you are able to make and take calls, dispatch texts and generally stay connected with your family and companions.
When you message someone, Garmin sends them an SMS from a arbitrary number, which they can respond to directly to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger application, you can then message back and forth using typed or voice messages, and make voice calls. Your recipient does not need a Garmin account to use the Messenger app, just a phone number is sufficient to register for texts.
Texting on the watch functions fine but typing out texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It has a collection of personalizable canned replies you can use to speed things up. Voice recordings and calls perform OK, though as with most smartwatches, 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 set it up to on its own send a link to chosen contacts every time you begin an exercise, so they can follow your real time location on a map. It’s excellent for following race progress, but it primarily serves as a tool for someone you rely on to know your whereabouts in case something happens. It has typically functioned effectively, although the real location has sometimes been delayed when moving in and out of good LTE signal.
These capabilities 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 updates and emergency SOS.
A guide displays you how to locate the line of sight to the orbital system, which then sends and receives messages within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was surprisingly straightforward to use and could be a vital lifeline, however it is important to note that satellite coverage is limited to the US mainland, most of Canada, and most of Europe excluding parts of Scandinavia above 65 degrees north.
Sustainability
The watch is generally repairable with services available via the customer service site. The battery is rated to maintain at least 90% of its initial power after two years of regular charging. The watch does not contain any recycled components. Garmin provides disposal schemes on recent purchases.
Cost
This Fenix 8 Pro costs from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The additional Garmin inReach service packages cost from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Verdict
This Fenix 8 Pro takes a excellent adventure watch in the standard Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for texting, calls and LiveTrack – plus satellite communication, location update and SOS SOS for when you’re without signal.
The result is an increasingly impressive adventure tool for those that desire to be phone-free. 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 needing anything else.
It is quite liberating to be outdoors without a phone, but that capability comes at quite a price, both in terms of the colossal cost of the watch and the monthly subscription of the inReach service to enable the service. At least it isn’t reliant on your phone provider so functions with all make of smartphone and network.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier device for someone who hates being weighed down by their phone when running, biking or trekking, but still desires to be locatable and contactable. For everyone else, it is a significant expense when the superb Fenix 8 is already available.
Pros: LTE and orbital messaging, high-luminance OLED display, tracks all activities with premier GPS, built-in torch, phone 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, physical controls and touchscreen.
Cons: very expensive, LTE and satellite functions require monthly payment, limited Garmin Pay bank support, voice capabilities are sluggish, basic smartwatch functionality compared with Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
