This most recent model of Garmin's top-tier Fenix outdoor timepiece brings a life-saving feature: phone-free communication and SOS alerts via 4G LTE or orbital links.
This Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the already impressive Fenix 8 by adding new mobile tech, along with an available state-of-the-art microLED screen in a limited edition. This is the brand's top device and engineered to be the single gadget needed to venture almost anywhere and track all your movements.
That positions it as an extremely expensive proposition, starting at £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED version and climbing to a colossal £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm edition with microLED display – nearly twice the cost of the standard Fenix 8.
Users get a lot of functionality for your investment, with industry-leading workout, movement and outdoor tracking. The full offline maps of the globe can automatically direct you back to the path if you get lost absent a phone, and appear great on the large, crisp and high-luminance display.
This Fenix 8 Pro is only available in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, omitting the more compact 43mm size found in other devices, so it is a large watch for larger wrists. But the 47mm OLED model as reviewed does have an extra day of smartwatch battery life despite the screen always active, enduring a solid eight to nine days between charging.
No-Phone Messaging, Calls and Real-Time Location
Garmin uses its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and orbital service plan instead of relying on a watch plan linked to your phone carrier, like other wearables. However unlike competing satellite-capable products, emergency communication is not provided for no cost.
Rather, plans start at £7.99 or equivalent a month, which includes unlimited LTE text and audio messaging, calls and LiveTrack position tracking – so your contacts or family can keep an eye on you while out running, biking or comparable pursuits – along with SOS satellite SOS messaging.
Check-ins and messages via orbital are then billed on top, with more expensive plans offering various quotas of orbital usage, increasing to a £50 a month unlimited subscription. The watch includes a 30-day free trial so you can test out the functionality.
Once you have completed setup, you just head out the door without your phone and the watch will link to LTE. You can not use it for playing music or comparable activities, but you can make and take calls, send texts and overall keep in touch with your relatives and companions.
Whenever you text someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a arbitrary phone number, which they can reply to back to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger app, you can then communicate back and forth via text or voice messages, and initiate voice calls. Your recipient is not required to have a Garmin profile to use the Messenger app, just a phone number is sufficient to sign up for texts.
Messaging on the watch works fine but composing texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is slow. It has a collection of personalizable pre-set responses you can send to expedite communication. Spoken recordings and calls work acceptably, although as with most smartwatches, you’re not going to wish to use it for extended discussions as the quality is not fantastic.
LiveTrack is the most useful function. You can set it up to on its own send a URL to selected contacts whenever you begin an exercise, so they can follow your live position on a map. It’s great for monitoring race performance, but it primarily acts as a utility for someone you trust to know your location in case something happens. It has typically functioned effectively, although the real location has sometimes lagged when transitioning in and out of strong LTE signal.
These capabilities are accessible on other Garmin devices if you bring your phone with you, but in locations where LTE lacks coverage, the satellite activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, location updates and SOS SOS.
A on-screen assistance displays you how to find the line of sight to the satellite, which then sends and receives 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 limited to the US mainland, the majority of Canada, and most of Europe excluding parts of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees north.
Sustainability
The watch is typically serviceable with options available through the customer service site. The battery is rated to retain at least 90% of its initial power after two years of weekly charging. The watch lacks any reused components. Garmin provides recycling programs on new purchases.
Cost
The Fenix 8 Pro is priced from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The optional Garmin inReach subscription plans begin from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Verdict
The Fenix 8 Pro builds on a excellent outdoor watch in the standard Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for messaging, call functionality and LiveTrack – plus orbital messaging, check-in and emergency SOS for when you’re out of coverage.
Outcome is an even more impressive outdoor device for those that desire to be unplugged. If you wish to have someone monitor you from afar while running out at night or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin does so without needing anything else.
It is quite freeing to be outside without a phone, but that capability comes at a significant cost, both in terms of the substantial cost of the watch and the monthly fee of the inReach plan to provide the service. Fortunately it is not reliant on your phone provider so functions with all brand of smartphone and carrier.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a killer gadget for someone who dislikes being weighed down by their phone when jogging, biking or trekking, but nevertheless desires to be trackable and contactable. For everyone else, it is a significant expense when the superb Fenix 8 is already available.
Advantages: LTE and orbital messaging, super-bright OLED screen, tracks all activities with best-in-class GPS, integrated flashlight, phone and offline voice control, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, complete offline maps and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre diving, buttons and touchscreen.
Drawbacks: very expensive, LTE and orbital features need ongoing payment, restricted Garmin Pay bank compatibility, speech features are sluggish, basic wearable functionality versus Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
