This latest model of the flagship Fenix adventure watch includes a life-saving feature: no-phone communication and emergency messaging via 4G LTE or satellite connections.
The Fenix 8 Pro builds upon the already outstanding Fenix 8 by incorporating new cellular tech, along with an available state-of-the-art microLED display in a special edition. This is Garmin's premier model and engineered to be the only tool required to explore virtually anywhere and track every activity.
This makes it an extremely pricey option, priced from £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED model and climbing to a substantial £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm edition with microLED display – nearly double the price of the standard Fenix 8.
Users get a significant features for your money, with industry-leading fitness, movement and adventure monitoring. Its full offline maps of the globe can seamlessly direct you back to the trail if you lose your way without a phone, and appear great on the sizable, crisp and high-luminance touchscreen.
The Fenix 8 Pro is only offered in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, not the smaller 43mm version found in other models, so it is a big watch for bigger wrists. But the 47mm OLED model as reviewed boasts an extra day of smartwatch battery life even with the display on all the time, lasting a reliable eight to nine days between charges.
Phone-Free Messaging, Calls and Real-Time Location
Garmin operates its own inReach LTE (4G) and orbital subscription service instead of depending on a watch plan tied to your mobile carrier, as with other wearables. However unlike competing satellite-enabled products, emergency messaging is not included for no cost.
Rather, plans start at £7.99 or equivalent a month, which provides limitless LTE SMS and audio messaging, calls and LiveTrack position tracking – so your contacts or family can monitor you while out running, cycling or similar activities – plus SOS satellite SOS messaging.
Check-ins and texts via satellite are then billed on top, with higher-tier plans including various quotas of satellite use, increasing to a £50 a month all-inclusive subscription. The watch comes with a 30-day trial period so you can evaluate the functionality.
After you have completed setup, you just head out the door without your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You cannot use it for playing music or similar tasks, but you can place and receive calls, dispatch texts and overall keep in touch with your family and friends.
Whenever you text someone, Garmin sends them an SMS from a arbitrary 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 using typed or spoken messages, and make voice calls. Your contact is not required to have a Garmin profile to use the Messenger app, just a phone number is sufficient to register for texts.
Messaging on the watch functions adequately but composing texts on the small on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It has a set of personalizable pre-set responses you can use to expedite communication. Spoken messages and calls work acceptably, although as with most smartwatches, you’re not going to wish to use it for extended conversations as the quality is not fantastic.
LiveTrack is the handiest feature. You can configure to on its own transmit a link to selected contacts whenever you begin an exercise, 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 rely on to be aware of your location in case something happens. It has generally worked effectively, though the actual location has occasionally lagged when transitioning in and out of good LTE coverage.
These capabilities are available on other Garmin watches if you bring your phone with you, but in areas where LTE lacks coverage, the satellite activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, position check-ins and SOS SOS.
A guide displays you how to find the line of sight to the orbital system, which then transmits and gets messages within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was surprisingly easy to use and could be a vital lifeline, however it is essential to remember that orbital coverage is limited to the US mainland, the majority of Canada, and the majority of Europe excluding parts of Scandinavia above 65 degrees latitude.
Sustainability
The watch is typically repairable with services offered through the support site. The battery is rated to retain at least 90% of its initial power after two years of weekly charging. The watch does not contain any recycled materials. Garmin provides disposal programs on new purchases.
Price
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).
Conclusion
This Fenix 8 Pro builds on a excellent adventure watch in the standard Fenix 8 and adds LTE for messaging, call functionality and LiveTrack – plus satellite communication, check-in and emergency SOS for when you’re without signal.
The result is an increasingly impressive adventure tool 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 middle of nowhere, the Garmin does so without requiring additional gear.
This is very liberating to be outside without a phone, but that functionality carries quite a price, both in terms of the substantial price of the watch and the monthly subscription of the inReach plan to enable the service. Fortunately it isn’t dependent on your phone carrier so functions with all brand of smartphone and carrier.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier device for someone who dislikes being weighed down by their phone when jogging, biking or trekking, but nevertheless wants to be trackable and reachable. For everyone else, it is a lot of expense when the excellent Fenix 8 is already available.
Advantages: LTE and orbital communication, super-bright OLED screen, tracks all activities with premier GPS, built-in flashlight, phone and offline commands, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, full offline mapping and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre diving, buttons and touchscreen.
Drawbacks: very expensive, LTE and satellite functions need monthly payment, limited Garmin Pay financial compatibility, voice features are sluggish, limited smartwatch functionality compared with Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
