The newest iteration of Garmin's premium Fenix adventure timepiece brings a life-saving feature: phone-free messaging and SOS alerts via 4G LTE or orbital connections.
This Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the already outstanding Fenix 8 by incorporating cutting-edge cellular tech, along with an available state-of-the-art microLED screen in a special edition. It is the brand's premier model and designed to be the single tool required to venture almost anywhere and monitor every activity.
That makes it an very expensive option, priced from £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED version and reaching a colossal £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm edition with microLED display – almost double the cost of the standard Fenix 8.
Users receive a lot of functionality for your money, with industry-leading fitness, movement and adventure monitoring. The full offline maps of the world can seamlessly guide you back to the trail if you get lost absent a phone, and appear great on the large, sharp and high-luminance display.
The Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively available in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, not the more compact 43mm version available in other devices, so it is a big watch for bigger wrists. However the 47mm OLED model as reviewed boasts an additional day of watch battery life despite the display always active, lasting a solid eight to nine days between charging.
Phone-Free Texting, Calls and Real-Time Location
Garmin uses its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and orbital service plan instead of depending on a watch plan linked to your phone provider, as with other smartwatches. However in contrast to competing satellite-enabled devices, SOS messaging is not provided for no cost.
Instead, plans begin from £7.99 or equivalent a month, which includes unlimited LTE SMS and audio messaging, calls and LiveTrack position tracking – so your contacts or family can keep an eye on you while out running, cycling or comparable pursuits – along with emergency satellite SOS alerts.
Location updates and messages over orbital are then billed on top, with higher-tier subscriptions including various allowances of orbital usage, increasing to a £50 a month unlimited plan. The watch comes with a 30-day trial period so you can evaluate the functionality.
After you have completed setup, you simply head out the door minus your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You cannot use it for streaming music or comparable activities, but you can place and receive calls, dispatch texts and generally keep in touch 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 install the Garmin Messenger app, you can then communicate reciprocally using text or voice communications, and make voice calls. Your contact is not required to have a Garmin account to use the Messenger application, only a phone number is enough to sign up for texts.
Messaging on the watch functions adequately but typing out texts on the small on-screen keyboard is slow. It includes a set of customisable pre-set responses you can use to speed things up. Spoken recordings and calls work OK, although as with the majority of wearables, you’re not going to wish to use it for lengthy discussions as the quality is not ideal.
LiveTrack is the most useful feature. You can set it up to on its own send a link to chosen contacts every time you start an exercise, so they can follow your live position on a map. It’s great for following competition performance, but it mostly acts as a utility for someone you trust to know your whereabouts in case something happens. It has typically worked well, although the real location has sometimes lagged when transitioning in and out of good LTE coverage.
All of these features are available on other Garmin devices if you carry your phone with you, but in locations where LTE lacks coverage, the satellite activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, position check-ins and emergency 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 surprisingly easy to use and could be a crucial safety feature, however it is essential to remember that satellite service is limited to the US mainland, most of Canada, and most of Europe except for regions of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees latitude.
Sustainability
The watch is typically serviceable 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 recycled materials. Garmin provides disposal schemes on recent purchases.
Price
The Fenix 8 Pro costs from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The optional Garmin inReach service packages begin from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Verdict
The Fenix 8 Pro builds on a fantastic outdoor watch in the regular Fenix 8 and adds LTE for texting, calls and LiveTrack – plus satellite messaging, check-in and emergency SOS for when you’re without signal.
The result is an increasingly impressive outdoor tool for those that desire to be phone-free. If you wish to have someone monitor you from afar while exercising after dark or in the remote areas, the Garmin accomplishes this without needing anything else.
It is quite liberating to be outdoors without a phone, but that capability carries quite a cost, both in terms of the colossal price of the watch and the recurring subscription of the inReach service to provide the features. At least it isn’t reliant on your phone carrier so works with all make of smartphone and carrier.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier device for someone who dislikes being burdened by their phone when jogging, cycling or trekking, but nevertheless desires to be locatable and contactable. For everyone else, it is a lot of money when the superb Fenix 8 is already available.
Advantages: LTE and satellite communication, high-luminance OLED display, monitors everything with premier GPS, integrated flashlight, phone and offline voice control, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, full offline maps and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre underwater use, buttons and touch.
Cons: very expensive, LTE and satellite features require monthly payment, restricted Garmin Pay bank compatibility, voice capabilities are sluggish, basic wearable functionality versus competing watches.
