This most recent version of Garmin's premium Fenix adventure timepiece brings a life-saving feature: no-phone messaging and emergency alerts using 4G LTE or orbital connections.
This Fenix 8 Pro builds upon the already outstanding Fenix 8 by adding new mobile tech, along with an optional advanced microLED display in a special edition. It is Garmin's top device and designed to be the single gadget required to venture almost anywhere and monitor all your movements.
That makes it an extremely pricey option, starting at £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 display – almost double the cost of the standard Fenix 8.
You do receive a lot of functionality for your investment, with industry-leading fitness, activity and outdoor tracking. Its complete offline mapping of the world can automatically direct you return to the path if you lose your way without a phone, and appear great on the large, crisp and high-luminance touchscreen.
This Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively available in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, omitting the more compact 43mm version found in other devices, so it is a big watch for larger wrists. However the 47mm OLED version as tested does have an additional day of watch battery life even with the display on all the time, enduring a reliable eight to nine days between charging.
Phone-Free Texting, Calling and Real-Time Location
The company operates its own inReach LTE (4G) and orbital service service rather than depending on a watch plan tied to your mobile provider, like other wearables. However unlike Apple or Google's satellite-enabled products, SOS communication is not included for free.
Rather, plans start at £7.99 or equivalent a month, which includes limitless LTE SMS and voice messaging, call functionality and LiveTrack position sharing – so your friends or loved ones can monitor you while out jogging, biking or comparable activities – plus emergency orbital SOS messaging.
Location updates and texts via satellite are then charged additionally, with higher-tier subscriptions offering various 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 functionality.
Once you have completed setup, you simply venture outside minus your phone and the watch will link to LTE. You cannot use it for streaming music or comparable tasks, but you can place and receive calls, dispatch texts and generally stay connected with your relatives and companions.
When you message someone, Garmin sends 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 message back and forth via text or spoken messages, and make voice calls. Your recipient is not required to have a Garmin profile to use the Messenger app, just a mobile number is sufficient to sign up for texts.
Messaging on the watch functions adequately but composing texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It includes a collection of customisable canned replies you can use to expedite communication. Spoken messages and calls work OK, although as with most wearables, you’re not going to want to use it for extended discussions as the audio clarity is less than fantastic.
LiveTrack is the most useful function. You can configure to automatically transmit a URL to selected contacts whenever you begin an activity, so they can track your live position on a map. It’s great for following race progress, but it mostly serves as a tool for someone you trust to know your location in case something happens. It has generally worked effectively, though the actual location has sometimes been delayed when moving in and out of strong LTE signal.
These features are available on other Garmin watches if you bring your phone with you, but in locations where LTE lacks coverage, the satellite kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, position updates and SOS SOS.
A guide shows you how to locate the line of sight to the satellite, which then sends and receives communications within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was unexpectedly straightforward to use and could be a vital lifeline, however it is important to remember that satellite service is restricted to the US mainland, most of Canada, and the majority of Europe except for regions of Scandinavia above 65 degrees north.
Sustainability
The watch is generally repairable with options offered through the support site. The battery is rated to retain at least 90% of its initial power after two years of regular charging. The watch does not contain any reused materials. Garmin provides recycling schemes on recent 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 service plans cost from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Verdict
The Fenix 8 Pro builds on a fantastic adventure watch in the standard Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for texting, call functionality and LiveTrack – plus satellite messaging, check-in and emergency SOS for when you’re out of signal.
The result is an even more impressive outdoor device for those that desire to be phone-free. If you wish to have someone keep an eye on you from afar while running out at night or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin accomplishes this without needing additional gear.
This is very liberating to be outdoors without a phone, but that functionality comes at quite a cost, both in terms of the substantial price of the watch and the monthly fee of the inReach service to enable the service. At least it is not reliant on your phone provider so works with all brand of smartphone and network.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier gadget for someone who dislikes being weighed down by their phone when jogging, biking or trekking, but nevertheless wants to be locatable and contactable. For other users, it is a lot of money when the excellent Fenix 8 already exists.
Pros: LTE and orbital messaging, high-luminance OLED display, tracks all activities with best-in-class GPS, built-in torch, voice and standalone voice control, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, full offline mapping and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre diving, physical controls and touchscreen.
Cons: very costly, LTE and orbital functions require ongoing payment, restricted Garmin Pay bank support, speech capabilities are sluggish, limited smartwatch features compared with Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
