This newest iteration of Garmin's top-tier Fenix adventure watch includes a life-saving capability: phone-free messaging and SOS messaging using 4G LTE or orbital connections.
This Fenix 8 Pro builds upon the previously outstanding Fenix 8 by incorporating new mobile tech, plus an available advanced microLED screen in a special edition. This is Garmin's premier model and engineered to be the only gadget required to explore almost any location and track all your movements.
That makes it an extremely expensive option, starting at £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED version and climbing to a colossal £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm edition with microLED display – almost twice the cost of the standard Fenix 8.
Users receive a significant features for your money, with industry-leading workout, activity and outdoor monitoring. Its complete offline mapping of the globe can automatically direct you back to the path if you get lost absent a phone, and look great on the sizable, crisp and high-luminance touchscreen.
The Fenix 8 Pro is only offered in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, omitting the more compact 43mm version available in other models, so it is a large watch for larger wrists. But the 47mm OLED model as tested does have an extra day of watch battery life even with the screen always active, enduring a reliable eight to nine days between charges.
No-Phone Texting, Calls and Real-Time Location
Garmin uses its own inReach LTE (4G) and satellite subscription plan instead of depending on a watch plan linked to your phone provider, like other wearables. However unlike competing satellite-enabled devices, SOS messaging is not included for free.
Rather, subscriptions start at £7.99 or equivalent a month, which includes limitless LTE text and voice messages, call functionality and LiveTrack position sharing – so your contacts or family can keep an eye on you while out running, cycling or comparable activities – plus emergency orbital SOS alerts.
Check-ins and messages via satellite are then charged on top, with higher-tier subscriptions offering different allowances of orbital usage, increasing to a £50 a month all-inclusive subscription. The watch includes a 30-day trial period so you can evaluate the service.
After you have completed setup, you simply venture outside without your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You can not use it for streaming music or similar activities, but you can make and take calls, dispatch texts and overall stay connected with your relatives and companions.
When you text someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a arbitrary number, which they can reply to directly to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger app, you can then message reciprocally via text or voice messages, and initiate voice calls. Your recipient does not need a Garmin account to use the Messenger application, just a phone number is enough to register for texts.
Texting on the watch functions fine but composing texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It includes a set of personalizable pre-set responses you can use to speed things up. Spoken recordings and calls work acceptably, though as with the majority of wearables, you’re unlikely 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 transmit a URL to selected contacts every time you start an exercise, so they can track your live location on a map. It’s great for following race progress, but it mostly serves as a utility for someone you trust to be aware of your whereabouts in case something happens. It has typically functioned well, although the real location has occasionally been delayed when moving in and out of strong LTE coverage.
These capabilities are accessible on other Garmin devices if you bring your phone with you, but in areas where LTE does not reach, the satellite kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, location updates and SOS SOS.
A guide shows you how to find the clear view to the satellite, which then sends and receives messages within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was unexpectedly easy to use and could be a crucial safety feature, however it is important to note that satellite service is limited to the US mainland, most of Canada, and most of Europe excluding parts of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees latitude.
Environmental Impact
The watch is generally serviceable with services offered through the support site. The battery is rated to maintain at least 90% of its initial capacity after two years of weekly charging. The watch does not contain any recycled materials. Garmin offers disposal schemes on new purchases.
Cost
This Fenix 8 Pro is priced from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The optional Garmin inReach subscription packages begin from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Verdict
This Fenix 8 Pro takes a excellent outdoor watch in the standard Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for messaging, call functionality and LiveTrack – along with satellite messaging, location update and emergency SOS for when you’re out of signal.
The result is an increasingly remarkable outdoor tool for those that desire to be phone-free. If you wish to have someone keep an eye on you from afar while exercising after dark or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin does so without needing anything else.
This is very liberating to be outdoors without a phone, but that capability comes at quite a cost, both in terms of the colossal cost of the watch and the recurring fee of the inReach service to enable the service. Fortunately it is not dependent on your phone carrier so functions with all brand of smartphone and network.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a killer device for someone who hates being burdened by their phone when jogging, biking or trekking, but still wants to be locatable and reachable. For everyone else, it is a significant money when the superb Fenix 8 already exists.
Pros: LTE and orbital messaging, high-luminance OLED screen, monitors everything with premier GPS, built-in torch, phone and offline commands, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, full offline mapping and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre underwater use, physical controls and touchscreen.
Cons: extremely costly, LTE and satellite functions require monthly subscription, limited Garmin Pay bank compatibility, voice capabilities are sluggish, basic wearable features compared with competing watches.
