This most recent iteration of Garmin's premium Fenix outdoor timepiece includes a life-saving capability: phone-free communication and SOS messaging using 4G LTE or orbital connections.
This Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the already impressive Fenix 8 by adding new mobile technology, along with an optional state-of-the-art microLED display in a special edition. This is the brand's top model and designed to be the single tool required to venture virtually any location and track all your movements.
That positions it as an extremely pricey option, priced from £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 edition with microLED display – nearly twice the cost of the regular Fenix 8.
You do receive a lot of functionality for your money, with industry-leading fitness, activity and adventure monitoring. The full offline mapping of the globe can automatically guide you return to the path if you lose your way absent a phone, and appear excellent on the large, crisp and high-luminance display.
This Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively offered in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, not the more compact 43mm version available in other devices, so it is a large watch for bigger wrists. However the 47mm OLED model as tested boasts an additional day of watch battery life despite the display always active, lasting a solid eight to nine days between charges.
Phone-Free Texting, Calling and Real-Time Location
The company uses its own inReach LTE (4G) and satellite subscription service instead of relying on a watch plan linked to your mobile provider, like other wearables. But unlike Apple or Google's satellite-enabled products, emergency messaging is not provided for free.
Instead, subscriptions start at £7.99 or similar a month, which includes limitless LTE SMS and voice messaging, calls and LiveTrack position sharing – so your contacts or loved ones can keep an eye on you while out running, cycling or comparable pursuits – along with SOS satellite SOS messaging.
Location updates and texts via orbital are then billed on top, with higher-tier plans offering various quotas of satellite use, increasing to a £50 a month all-inclusive subscription. The watch includes a 30-day trial period so you can test out the service.
After you have got it set up, you just head out outside minus your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You cannot use it for streaming music or similar activities, but you are able to place and receive calls, send texts and overall keep in touch with your relatives and companions.
When you message someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a arbitrary number, which they can reply to back to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger app, you can then communicate reciprocally using text or voice messages, and make voice calls. Your recipient does not need a Garmin account to use the Messenger app, only a phone number is enough to register for texts.
Texting on the watch works fine but typing out texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is slow. It has a set of personalizable pre-set replies you can send to speed things up. Voice messages and calls work OK, though as with the majority of smartwatches, you’re not going to wish to use it for extended conversations as the audio clarity is not fantastic.
LiveTrack is the most useful function. You can configure to automatically transmit a URL to chosen contacts whenever you start an exercise, so they can follow your live position on a map. It’s great for monitoring competition progress, but it primarily serves as a utility for someone you rely on to be aware of your location in case something happens. It has generally worked well, although the real position has occasionally lagged when transitioning in and out of strong LTE signal.
These features are available on other Garmin devices if you bring 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 shows you how to locate the line of sight to the orbital system, which then transmits and gets communications within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was unexpectedly easy to use and could be a crucial safety feature, though it is important to remember that orbital coverage is restricted to the US mainland, most of Canada, and most of Europe excluding regions of Scandinavia above 65 degrees latitude.
Environmental Impact
The watch is typically serviceable with services available via 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 recycled materials. Garmin offers disposal schemes on new purchases.
Price
This Fenix 8 Pro costs 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
This Fenix 8 Pro takes a fantastic outdoor watch in the standard Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for messaging, calls and LiveTrack – plus satellite messaging, location update and SOS SOS for when you’re out of signal.
The result is an increasingly remarkable adventure tool for those that want to be phone-free. If you wish to have someone monitor you from afar while running after dark or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin accomplishes this without requiring anything else.
This is very liberating to be outdoors without a phone, but that capability comes at a significant cost, both in terms of the colossal price of the watch and the recurring fee of the inReach service to provide the features. At least it isn’t reliant on your phone carrier so functions with all make of smartphone and carrier.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier device for someone who hates being weighed down by their phone when jogging, cycling or hiking, but nevertheless desires to be locatable and reachable. For other users, it is a significant expense when the superb Fenix 8 is already available.
Pros: LTE and satellite messaging, super-bright OLED display, monitors all activities with best-in-class GPS, built-in torch, voice and standalone commands, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, full offline maps and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre diving, physical controls and touchscreen.
Cons: extremely expensive, LTE and satellite features require ongoing payment, restricted Garmin Pay bank support, speech features are sluggish, limited smartwatch features versus Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
