This latest model of Garmin's top-tier Fenix outdoor timepiece introduces a life-saving capability: phone-free communication and emergency messaging using 4G LTE or orbital links.
The Fenix 8 Pro enhances the already outstanding Fenix 8 by incorporating new mobile technology, plus an available advanced microLED screen in a special edition. This is Garmin's top model and engineered to be the only gadget required to venture almost anywhere and track every activity.
This positions it as an extremely pricey proposition, starting at £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED version and reaching a substantial £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm variant with microLED screen – almost twice the cost of the regular Fenix 8.
Users get a significant features for your money, with industry-leading workout, activity and adventure tracking. The complete offline mapping of the world can seamlessly direct you back to the trail if you get lost without a phone, and appear great on the sizable, sharp and super-bright display.
This Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively available in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, not the smaller 43mm size available in other devices, so it is a big watch for bigger wrists. However the 47mm OLED version as reviewed does have an additional day of smartwatch battery life despite the screen on all the time, enduring a reliable eight to nine days between charging.
Phone-Free Messaging, Calling and Live Tracking
The company operates its own inReach LTE (4G) and orbital service plan rather than depending on a watch plan tied to your mobile provider, like other wearables. However unlike Apple or Google's satellite-enabled products, emergency messaging is not included for free.
Rather, plans begin from £7.99 or similar a month, which provides unlimited LTE SMS and audio messages, calls and LiveTrack position tracking – so your friends or loved ones can monitor you while engaged in running, cycling or comparable pursuits – plus emergency satellite SOS messaging.
Location updates and messages via satellite are then billed on top, with more expensive subscriptions including different quotas of orbital use, climbing to a £50 a month unlimited plan. The watch comes with a 30-day trial period so you can test out the service.
Once you have got it set up, you just head out the door without your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You can not use it for playing music or similar activities, but you can make and take calls, send texts and overall stay connected with your relatives and companions.
When you text someone, Garmin sends them an SMS from a arbitrary phone number, which they can reply to back to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger app, you can then communicate back and forth using typed or voice messages, and make voice calls. Your contact does not need a Garmin account to use the Messenger application, just a mobile number is enough to sign up for texts.
Messaging on the watch works fine but composing texts on the small on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It includes a collection of customisable pre-set responses you can use to expedite communication. Spoken recordings and calls work OK, though as with most smartwatches, you’re unlikely going to want to use it for extended conversations as the audio clarity is not fantastic.
LiveTrack is the handiest function. You can configure to on its own transmit a URL to chosen contacts every time you start an activity, so they can follow your real time location on a map. It’s great for following race performance, but it mostly acts as a tool for someone you rely on to know your whereabouts in case an incident occurs. It has generally worked effectively, though the actual location has occasionally lagged when transitioning in and out of strong LTE coverage.
All of these features are accessible on other Garmin watches if you bring your phone with you, but in areas where LTE lacks coverage, the satellite kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, location check-ins and SOS SOS.
A on-screen assistance displays you how to locate the line of sight to the orbital system, which then sends and receives messages within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was surprisingly straightforward to use and could be a vital lifeline, though it is important to remember that orbital service is limited to the US mainland, most of Canada, and the majority of Europe excluding regions of Scandinavia above 65 degrees north.
Sustainability
The watch is generally serviceable with options available through the customer service portal. The battery is rated to maintain at least 90% of its initial power after two years of regular 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 additional Garmin inReach subscription plans begin from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Verdict
The Fenix 8 Pro builds on a fantastic outdoor watch in the standard Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for messaging, calls and LiveTrack – plus orbital communication, location update and emergency SOS for when you’re out of signal.
The result is an increasingly remarkable adventure tool for those that desire 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 requiring anything else.
It is very liberating to be outdoors without a phone, but that functionality comes at quite a cost, both in terms of the substantial cost of the watch and the monthly fee of the inReach service to enable the service. At least it is not reliant on your phone carrier so functions with any make of smartphone and carrier.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a killer gadget for someone who hates being weighed down by their phone when jogging, cycling or trekking, but nevertheless desires to be locatable and reachable. For everyone else, it is a lot of money when the excellent Fenix 8 already exists.
Pros: LTE and orbital messaging, high-luminance OLED display, tracks all activities with premier GPS, built-in flashlight, phone and standalone voice control, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, full offline mapping and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre underwater use, physical controls and touch.
Cons: very costly, LTE and satellite features require ongoing payment, restricted Garmin Pay bank compatibility, voice capabilities are sluggish, limited smartwatch features compared with competing watches.
