The newest version of Garmin's flagship Fenix adventure timepiece introduces a life-saving capability: no-phone messaging and SOS alerts via 4G LTE or orbital links.
The Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the previously impressive Fenix 8 by incorporating cutting-edge cellular technology, along with an optional advanced microLED display in a limited edition. It is Garmin's premier device and engineered to be the single tool required to venture almost anywhere and track all your movements.
This makes it an very expensive option, starting at £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED model 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 workout, movement and outdoor tracking. The complete offline mapping of the world can automatically guide you return to the trail if you lose your way without a phone, and look excellent on the sizable, sharp and super-bright touchscreen.
The Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively offered in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, omitting the smaller 43mm version found in other models, so it is a big watch for bigger wrists. But the 47mm OLED model as reviewed does have an additional day of smartwatch battery life despite the display on all the time, lasting a reliable 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 instead of depending on a watch plan tied to your mobile provider, like other smartwatches. However unlike Apple or Google's satellite-enabled devices, emergency communication is not provided for free.
Rather, plans start at £7.99 or equivalent a month, which provides unlimited LTE SMS and voice messages, calls and LiveTrack location tracking – so your friends or family can keep an eye on you while engaged in running, cycling or comparable activities – along with SOS orbital SOS alerts.
Check-ins and texts over orbital are then charged on top, with more expensive subscriptions offering various allowances of orbital use, increasing to a £50 a month unlimited plan. The watch comes with a 30-day trial period so you can test out the functionality.
After 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 comparable activities, but you are able to make and take calls, dispatch texts and overall keep in touch with your relatives and friends.
Whenever you text someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a random number, which they can reply to directly to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger app, you can then communicate reciprocally via typed or voice messages, and initiate voice calls. Your recipient is not required to have a Garmin account to use the Messenger application, only a phone number is sufficient to sign up for texts.
Messaging on the watch works fine but composing texts on the small on-screen keyboard is slow. It includes a set of customisable pre-set responses you can use to expedite communication. Spoken recordings and calls work OK, although as with most smartwatches, you’re not going to want to use it for lengthy discussions as the audio clarity is less than ideal.
LiveTrack is the handiest function. You can configure to automatically send a URL to selected contacts whenever you start an exercise, so they can follow your real time location on a map. It’s excellent for monitoring competition progress, but it mostly serves as a utility for someone you trust to know your location in case an incident occurs. It has typically worked well, although the real location has occasionally been delayed when transitioning in and out of strong LTE coverage.
These features are accessible on other Garmin devices if you carry your phone with you, but in locations where LTE lacks coverage, the orbital kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, position check-ins and SOS SOS.
A on-screen assistance displays you how to find the line of sight to the satellite, which then transmits and gets messages within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was surprisingly easy to use and could be a vital safety feature, though it is important to remember that orbital coverage is restricted to the US mainland, most of Canada, and most of Europe except for regions of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees north.
Environmental Impact
The watch is generally serviceable with options offered via the support site. The battery is rated to retain at least 90% of its original capacity after two years of weekly charging. The watch does not contain any recycled components. Garmin offers recycling programs on recent 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 subscription packages begin from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Conclusion
This Fenix 8 Pro takes a excellent adventure watch in the regular Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for messaging, call functionality and LiveTrack – plus orbital communication, location update and emergency SOS for when you’re without signal.
Outcome is an increasingly remarkable outdoor tool for those that desire to be phone-free. If you wish to have someone keep an eye on you remotely while running out at night or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin accomplishes this without requiring anything else.
This is quite liberating to be outdoors without a phone, but that capability carries quite a price, both in terms of the colossal cost of the watch and the monthly subscription of the inReach service to provide the service. At least it isn’t dependent on your phone carrier so functions with all make of smartphone and carrier.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier device for someone who hates being burdened by their phone when jogging, cycling or hiking, but still wants to be locatable and contactable. For other users, it is a significant expense when the excellent Fenix 8 is already available.
Pros: LTE and satellite communication, high-luminance OLED display, tracks everything with premier GPS, built-in flashlight, voice and offline voice control, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, complete offline mapping and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre underwater use, physical controls and touchscreen.
Drawbacks: very expensive, LTE and satellite functions need monthly payment, restricted Garmin Pay financial support, speech capabilities are sluggish, limited wearable functionality versus Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
