This most recent version of the flagship Fenix adventure watch introduces a life-saving capability: no-phone communication and SOS alerts via 4G LTE or satellite links.
This Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the already outstanding Fenix 8 by adding new mobile tech, along with an available advanced microLED screen in a special edition. This is Garmin's top model and designed to be the single gadget required to venture almost any location and monitor every activity.
That makes it an very pricey 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 display – almost twice the price of the regular Fenix 8.
Users get a lot of functionality for your money, with industry-leading workout, activity and outdoor monitoring. Its full offline maps of the globe can automatically guide you back to the trail if you lose your way without a phone, and look great on the large, sharp and high-luminance display.
This Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively offered in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, omitting the more compact 43mm version found in other devices, so it is a big watch for larger wrists. However the 47mm OLED model as tested does have an extra day of smartwatch battery life even with the display on all the time, lasting 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 subscription plan rather than relying on a watch plan linked to your phone carrier, as with other wearables. But in contrast to competing satellite-capable products, SOS messaging is not provided for free.
Rather, plans start at £7.99 or equivalent a month, which provides unlimited LTE text and audio messages, call functionality and LiveTrack position sharing – so your contacts or loved ones can keep an eye on you while engaged in jogging, cycling or similar activities – plus emergency satellite SOS alerts.
Location updates and texts over satellite are then billed additionally, with more expensive plans offering various quotas of orbital use, climbing to a £50 a month unlimited plan. The watch includes a 30-day free trial so you can evaluate the service.
After you have got it set up, you simply head out the door without your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You cannot use it for playing music or similar activities, but you can place and receive calls, send texts and generally keep in touch with your relatives and companions.
When you message someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a random phone number, which they can reply to back to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger application, you can then communicate back and forth via text or spoken messages, and initiate voice calls. Your recipient is not required to have a Garmin profile to use the Messenger app, only a mobile number is enough to sign up for texts.
Texting on the watch functions fine but composing texts on the small on-screen keyboard is slow. It includes a collection of personalizable pre-set replies you can use to speed things up. Spoken messages and calls work acceptably, although as with most smartwatches, you’re not going to want to use it for lengthy conversations as the quality is not fantastic.
LiveTrack is the handiest feature. You can configure to automatically send a URL to selected contacts every time you begin an activity, so they can follow your real time location on a map. It’s excellent for following race performance, but it primarily acts as a utility for someone you rely on to be aware of your location in case an incident occurs. It has generally worked well, though the real position has sometimes lagged when transitioning in and out of strong LTE coverage.
All of these features are available on other Garmin watches if you carry your phone with you, but in areas where LTE lacks coverage, the orbital kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, location check-ins and SOS SOS.
A on-screen assistance displays you how to find the clear view to the orbital system, which then transmits and gets messages within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was surprisingly straightforward to use and could be a crucial safety feature, however it is important to note that satellite service is restricted to the US continent, most of Canada, and most of Europe excluding regions of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees latitude.
Environmental Impact
The watch is typically repairable with services available through the support portal. The battery is rated to retain at least 90% of its original power after two years of regular charging. The watch lacks any reused components. Garmin offers disposal programs on new purchases.
Price
This 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).
Verdict
This Fenix 8 Pro takes a fantastic outdoor watch in the regular Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for texting, calls and LiveTrack – along with satellite communication, location update and SOS SOS for when you’re without signal.
The result is an increasingly remarkable outdoor device for those that want to be phone-free. If you wish to have someone keep an eye on you remotely while exercising out at night or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin does so without needing anything else.
It is very freeing to be outdoors without a phone, but that capability carries quite a cost, both in terms of the substantial cost of the watch and the recurring subscription of the inReach plan to provide the service. At least it isn’t dependent on your phone provider so works with any make of smartphone and network.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier gadget for someone who dislikes being weighed down by their phone when jogging, cycling or trekking, but nevertheless desires to be locatable and reachable. For everyone else, it is a significant expense when the excellent Fenix 8 is already available.
Pros: LTE and satellite messaging, high-luminance OLED screen, monitors all activities with best-in-class GPS, built-in flashlight, voice and offline commands, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, complete offline maps and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre underwater use, buttons and touch.
Drawbacks: very costly, LTE and orbital functions require monthly subscription, restricted Garmin Pay bank compatibility, voice capabilities are slow, basic wearable features versus Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
