The newest model of the top-tier Fenix adventure watch brings a life-saving feature: no-phone messaging and SOS alerts using 4G LTE or satellite connections.
The Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the previously outstanding Fenix 8 by incorporating cutting-edge mobile technology, plus an optional state-of-the-art microLED display in a special edition. It is Garmin's top model and designed to be the single gadget needed to explore virtually anywhere and track every activity.
This makes it an very pricey proposition, 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 variant with microLED display – nearly twice the price of the standard Fenix 8.
Users get a lot of features for your money, with industry-leading fitness, movement and adventure monitoring. The full offline maps of the globe can automatically direct you back to the trail if you get lost without a phone, and look great on the sizable, crisp and super-bright display.
The Fenix 8 Pro is only available in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, omitting the more compact 43mm size found in other models, so it is a big watch for bigger wrists. However the 47mm OLED model as reviewed does have an additional day of watch battery life even with the display on all the time, lasting a reliable eight to nine days between charges.
Phone-Free Messaging, Calling and Real-Time Location
Garmin uses its own inReach LTE (4G) and orbital subscription plan instead of depending on a watch plan tied to your phone provider, like other wearables. However unlike Apple or Google's satellite-capable products, SOS communication is not provided for free.
Rather, plans start at £7.99 or similar a month, which provides unlimited LTE SMS and voice messaging, call functionality and LiveTrack location sharing – so your contacts or loved ones can monitor you while out jogging, cycling or comparable activities – along with SOS orbital SOS alerts.
Check-ins and texts over satellite are then billed additionally, with more expensive subscriptions offering various allowances of orbital use, increasing to a £50 a month unlimited plan. The watch comes with a 30-day free trial so you can evaluate the functionality.
Once you have completed setup, you simply venture the door without your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You can not use it for streaming music or comparable activities, but you can place and receive calls, dispatch texts and overall stay connected with your relatives and companions.
When you message someone, Garmin sends them an SMS from a random number, which they can respond to directly to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger app, you can then message back and forth using text or voice messages, and make voice calls. Your contact is not required to have a Garmin profile to use the Messenger application, just a phone number is enough to sign up for texts.
Messaging on the watch functions fine but composing texts on the small on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It has a collection of personalizable pre-set responses you can send to speed things up. Spoken messages and calls perform OK, though as with most smartwatches, you’re not going to want to use it for lengthy discussions as the quality is less than ideal.
LiveTrack is the most useful function. You can set it up to on its own transmit a URL to selected contacts whenever you start an exercise, so they can track your real time position on a map. It’s great for monitoring competition progress, but it mostly serves as a tool for someone you trust to know your location in case something happens. It has generally functioned effectively, though the actual location has sometimes been delayed when moving in and out of strong LTE signal.
All of these capabilities are available on other Garmin watches if you bring your phone with you, but in areas where LTE does not reach, the orbital activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, location check-ins and SOS SOS.
A guide shows you how to locate the clear view to the satellite, which then transmits and gets communications within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was unexpectedly easy to use and could be a crucial safety feature, however it is important to remember that satellite service is limited to the US mainland, most of Canada, and most of Europe excluding parts of Scandinavia above 65 degrees north.
Sustainability
The watch is generally serviceable with options offered through the support site. The battery is rated to retain at least 90% of its original capacity after two years of weekly charging. The watch lacks any recycled components. Garmin provides recycling programs on recent purchases.
Price
This Fenix 8 Pro costs from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The additional Garmin inReach service plans begin from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Conclusion
The Fenix 8 Pro builds on a fantastic outdoor watch in the standard Fenix 8 and adds LTE for messaging, calls and LiveTrack – along with orbital messaging, check-in and emergency SOS for when you’re without signal.
The result is an even more remarkable outdoor device for those that desire to be phone-free. If you want to have someone keep an eye on you from afar while exercising out at night or in the remote areas, the Garmin does so without requiring additional gear.
This is quite liberating to be outdoors without a phone, but that capability comes at quite a cost, both in terms of the colossal price of the watch and the recurring subscription of the inReach service to enable the service. Fortunately it isn’t reliant on your phone carrier so functions with all make of smartphone and carrier.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a killer device for someone who dislikes being burdened by their phone when running, cycling or trekking, but still desires to be trackable and contactable. For everyone else, it is a lot of money when the excellent Fenix 8 already exists.
Pros: LTE and satellite messaging, super-bright OLED display, tracks all activities with premier 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 diving, physical controls and touchscreen.
Cons: extremely expensive, LTE and orbital functions require monthly subscription, restricted Garmin Pay financial compatibility, speech features are sluggish, limited smartwatch functionality compared with Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
