The most recent version of Garmin's top-tier Fenix adventure watch brings a life-saving feature: no-phone messaging and SOS alerts via 4G LTE or orbital connections.
The Fenix 8 Pro enhances the already impressive Fenix 8 by adding cutting-edge mobile technology, along with an optional advanced microLED display in a special edition. It is the brand's premier device and engineered to be the only tool required to explore almost anywhere and monitor all your movements.
This positions it as an very expensive proposition, priced from £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED model and reaching a substantial £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm variant with microLED display – nearly double the price of the regular Fenix 8.
You do receive a lot of functionality for your money, with best-in-class fitness, activity and adventure monitoring. The full offline maps of the world can seamlessly direct you return to the path if you lose your way without a phone, and appear excellent on the sizable, crisp and high-luminance touchscreen.
This Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively available in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, not the more compact 43mm size available in other devices, so it is a big watch for bigger wrists. But the 47mm OLED version as reviewed does have an extra day of watch battery life even with the display on all the time, lasting a solid eight to nine days between charges.
Phone-Free Messaging, Calls and Real-Time Location
The company uses its own inReach LTE (4G) and orbital service service instead of relying on a watch plan tied to your mobile provider, as with other wearables. But unlike Apple or Google's satellite-enabled products, SOS communication is not provided for no cost.
Instead, plans start at £7.99 or equivalent a month, which provides unlimited LTE text and audio messages, call functionality and LiveTrack location tracking – so your friends or family can monitor you while out jogging, biking or similar pursuits – plus SOS orbital SOS messaging.
Location updates and messages over orbital are then charged on top, with more expensive subscriptions including different allowances of orbital use, climbing to a £50 a month unlimited plan. The watch includes a 30-day trial period so you can evaluate the functionality.
After you have got it set up, you just head out the door minus your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You cannot use it for playing music or similar tasks, but you can make and take calls, send texts and generally stay connected with your family and companions.
Whenever 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 app, you can then communicate back and forth using typed or voice communications, and initiate voice calls. Your contact does not need a Garmin account to use the Messenger application, only a mobile number is enough to sign up for texts.
Messaging on the watch functions fine but typing out texts on the small on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It has a set of customisable canned responses you can send to speed things up. Voice messages and calls work acceptably, though as with most smartwatches, you’re not going to want to use it for extended conversations as the quality is not fantastic.
LiveTrack is the handiest function. You can set it up to on its own send a link to chosen contacts whenever you begin an activity, so they can follow your live location on a map. It’s excellent for monitoring competition performance, but it mostly serves as a tool for someone you trust to know your whereabouts in case an incident occurs. It has generally functioned effectively, though the real location has sometimes lagged when moving in and out of strong LTE coverage.
These features 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 send texts, position check-ins and emergency SOS.
A on-screen assistance shows you how to find the clear view to the orbital system, which then sends and receives communications within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was unexpectedly easy to use and could be a crucial lifeline, though it is important to note that orbital coverage is limited to the US continent, the majority of Canada, and most of Europe excluding regions of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees north.
Environmental Impact
The watch is generally repairable with options offered via the customer service site. The battery is certified to retain at least 90% of its original capacity after two years of weekly charging. The watch does not contain any reused components. Garmin offers recycling programs on new purchases.
Price
The Fenix 8 Pro costs from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The additional Garmin inReach subscription plans begin from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Verdict
The Fenix 8 Pro takes a fantastic outdoor watch in the regular Fenix 8 and adds LTE for messaging, calls and LiveTrack – along with orbital messaging, location update and SOS SOS for when you’re out of signal.
Outcome is an increasingly remarkable outdoor device for those that desire to be phone-free. If you wish to have someone monitor you from afar while running after dark or in the remote areas, the Garmin does so without requiring anything else.
It is quite freeing to be outside without a phone, but that functionality comes at quite a price, both in terms of the colossal cost of the watch and the recurring fee of the inReach plan to enable the service. Fortunately it isn’t reliant on your phone provider so works with any 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, cycling or hiking, but nevertheless desires to be trackable and reachable. For everyone else, it is a significant expense when the superb Fenix 8 is already available.
Pros: LTE and satellite communication, super-bright OLED screen, monitors all activities with best-in-class GPS, integrated torch, phone and offline voice control, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, full offline maps and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre underwater use, buttons and touch.
Cons: extremely costly, LTE and satellite features require ongoing subscription, restricted Garmin Pay financial support, speech capabilities are sluggish, limited smartwatch features compared with Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
