This latest version of the premium Fenix adventure timepiece includes a potentially lifesaving feature: phone-free messaging and SOS alerts via 4G LTE or orbital connections.
This Fenix 8 Pro builds upon the already impressive Fenix 8 by adding new mobile tech, along with an optional state-of-the-art microLED screen in a special edition. This is Garmin's premier device and designed to be the single tool needed to explore almost any location and track every activity.
That positions it as an extremely pricey proposition, priced from £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED model and climbing to a colossal £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm edition with microLED screen – almost twice the cost of the regular Fenix 8.
Users receive a lot of features for your investment, with industry-leading fitness, movement and adventure tracking. Its complete offline maps of the globe can automatically direct you back to the trail if you get lost absent a phone, and look excellent on the sizable, sharp and high-luminance touchscreen.
The Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively offered in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, not the more compact 43mm size available in other devices, so it is a big watch for larger wrists. However the 47mm OLED version as reviewed does have an additional day of smartwatch battery life despite the screen on all the time, enduring a solid eight to nine days between charging.
Phone-Free Texting, Calling and Real-Time Location
Garmin uses its own inReach LTE (4G) and orbital service service rather than relying on a watch plan tied to your mobile carrier, as with other smartwatches. But in contrast to Apple or Google's satellite-capable devices, SOS communication is not included for no cost.
Rather, subscriptions start at £7.99 or similar a month, which provides limitless LTE text and audio messages, calls and LiveTrack location sharing – so your contacts or loved ones can monitor you while engaged in jogging, cycling or similar pursuits – along with emergency satellite SOS alerts.
Location updates and texts over orbital are then billed on top, with more expensive subscriptions offering different allowances of satellite use, climbing to a £50 a month unlimited subscription. The watch includes a 30-day trial period so you can evaluate the service.
Once you have completed setup, you simply head out outside without your phone and the watch will link to LTE. You cannot use it for playing music or comparable tasks, but you are able to place and receive calls, dispatch texts and overall stay connected with your relatives and companions.
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 application, you can then communicate back and forth via typed or voice messages, and make voice calls. Your contact does not need a Garmin profile to use the Messenger app, just a mobile number is enough to register for texts.
Messaging on the watch functions fine but typing out texts on the small on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It includes a set of personalizable pre-set responses you can use to speed things up. Voice messages and calls work OK, though as with the majority of smartwatches, you’re unlikely going to want to use it for extended discussions as the quality is not ideal.
LiveTrack is the most useful feature. You can set it up to automatically send a URL to selected contacts whenever you start an activity, so they can track your real time location on a map. It’s excellent for monitoring race progress, but it mostly serves as a utility for someone you rely on to be aware of your location in case an incident occurs. It has typically functioned well, although the actual position has sometimes lagged when moving in and out of strong LTE coverage.
These capabilities are available on other Garmin watches if you carry your phone with you, but in locations where LTE does not reach, the orbital kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, position check-ins and emergency SOS.
A on-screen assistance shows you how to find the line of sight to the satellite, which then sends and receives communications within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was surprisingly easy to use and could be a crucial safety feature, though it is essential to note that orbital coverage is limited to the US continent, most of Canada, and the majority of Europe excluding parts of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees north.
Sustainability
The watch is generally repairable with options offered via the support portal. The battery is rated to maintain at least 90% of its original capacity after two years of weekly charging. The watch lacks any recycled materials. Garmin offers recycling schemes on new purchases.
Price
The Fenix 8 Pro costs from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The optional Garmin inReach subscription packages cost from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Conclusion
The Fenix 8 Pro builds on a excellent adventure watch in the regular Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for messaging, calls and LiveTrack – plus orbital messaging, location update and SOS SOS for when you’re out of signal.
The result is an increasingly impressive outdoor tool for those that desire to be phone-free. If you wish to have someone keep an eye on you from afar while running after dark or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin accomplishes this without requiring additional gear.
It is very freeing to be outdoors without a phone, but that functionality carries quite a cost, both in terms of the substantial cost of the watch and the monthly fee of the inReach plan to provide the features. Fortunately it is not dependent on your phone carrier so functions with any brand of smartphone and carrier.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a killer gadget for someone who hates being weighed down by their phone when running, biking or trekking, but still wants to be locatable and reachable. For everyone else, it is a significant expense when the excellent Fenix 8 is already available.
Pros: LTE and orbital communication, super-bright OLED screen, monitors all activities with premier GPS, built-in torch, voice 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 touch.
Cons: very costly, LTE and orbital features need monthly subscription, limited Garmin Pay financial support, speech features are slow, limited wearable features compared with Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
