This latest version of Garmin's premium Fenix outdoor timepiece includes a potentially lifesaving feature: phone-free communication and SOS alerts using 4G LTE or orbital connections.
This Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the previously impressive Fenix 8 by incorporating cutting-edge cellular technology, along with an optional state-of-the-art microLED display in a special edition. This is the brand's top device and designed to be the single gadget needed to venture almost anywhere and monitor every activity.
This positions it as an extremely pricey option, starting at £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 edition with microLED display – nearly twice the cost of the regular Fenix 8.
You do get a significant functionality for your investment, with industry-leading workout, activity and adventure monitoring. The complete offline mapping of the world can automatically guide you back to the trail if you lose your way absent a phone, and appear excellent on the large, crisp and super-bright display.
This Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively offered in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, not the smaller 43mm version available in other devices, so it is a large watch for larger wrists. However the 47mm OLED model as tested does have an additional day of watch battery life despite the display on all the time, enduring a reliable eight to nine days between charges.
Phone-Free Messaging, Calling and Live Tracking
Garmin operates its own inReach LTE (4G) and orbital subscription plan rather than depending on a watch plan linked to your mobile provider, like other wearables. However unlike Apple or Google's satellite-enabled products, emergency messaging is not included for no cost.
Rather, plans start at £7.99 or similar a month, which provides limitless LTE SMS and audio messages, call functionality and LiveTrack location sharing – so your friends or family can keep an eye on you while out running, biking or comparable activities – plus SOS satellite SOS messaging.
Check-ins and messages via satellite are then charged on top, with higher-tier plans offering various allowances of satellite use, climbing to a £50 a month all-inclusive plan. The watch includes a 30-day free trial so you can evaluate the service.
After you have got it set up, you simply head out outside without your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You cannot use it for streaming music or similar activities, but you can make and take calls, send texts and overall stay connected with your relatives and companions.
Whenever you message someone, Garmin sends them an SMS from a random phone number, which they can respond to directly to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger app, you can then message back and forth using typed or spoken communications, and initiate voice calls. Your contact is not required to have a Garmin account to use the Messenger app, just a mobile number is sufficient to register for texts.
Texting on the watch works fine but typing out texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It includes a collection of personalizable pre-set responses you can send to expedite communication. Voice messages and calls work OK, although as with most smartwatches, you’re not going to want to use it for lengthy discussions as the quality is not fantastic.
LiveTrack is the handiest function. You can configure to automatically transmit a URL to chosen contacts whenever you start an exercise, so they can follow your real time position on a map. It’s great for monitoring competition performance, but it mostly serves as a tool for someone you trust to know your location in case something happens. It has generally functioned effectively, although the actual position has occasionally lagged when moving in and out of good LTE signal.
All of these capabilities are accessible on other Garmin watches if you carry 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 emergency SOS.
A on-screen assistance shows you how to locate the clear view to the satellite, which then sends and receives 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 service is limited to the US mainland, most of Canada, and the majority of Europe excluding parts of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees latitude.
Sustainability
The watch is typically repairable with services offered via the support portal. The battery is certified to retain at least 90% of its initial capacity after two years of weekly charging. The watch does not contain any recycled materials. Garmin provides recycling 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 subscription packages begin from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Verdict
This Fenix 8 Pro builds on a fantastic outdoor watch in the standard Fenix 8 and adds LTE for texting, call functionality and LiveTrack – along with satellite messaging, location update and SOS SOS for when you’re out of signal.
The result is an increasingly remarkable outdoor device for those that want to be unplugged. 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 quite liberating to be outside without a phone, but that capability comes at quite a cost, both in terms of the colossal cost of the watch and the monthly subscription of the inReach service to enable the service. At least it isn’t dependent on your phone provider so functions with all brand of smartphone and carrier.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier device for someone who hates 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 is already available.
Pros: LTE and satellite communication, super-bright OLED screen, tracks all activities with best-in-class GPS, integrated torch, voice and standalone commands, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, complete offline mapping and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre underwater use, physical controls and touch.
Drawbacks: very costly, LTE and orbital features need monthly payment, limited Garmin Pay bank support, speech features are sluggish, limited wearable functionality compared with Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
