This latest iteration of the premium Fenix adventure watch brings a life-saving feature: no-phone communication and emergency messaging using 4G LTE or orbital connections.
This Fenix 8 Pro enhances the already outstanding Fenix 8 by adding cutting-edge cellular technology, along with an optional advanced microLED display in a limited edition. This is Garmin's top device and designed to be the only gadget needed to venture almost anywhere and track all your movements.
That makes it an extremely expensive proposition, priced from £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 regular Fenix 8.
Users get a lot of functionality for your money, with industry-leading fitness, movement and adventure monitoring. Its full offline maps of the world can seamlessly direct you back to the trail if you get lost without a phone, and look excellent on the sizable, crisp and high-luminance touchscreen.
The 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. But the 47mm OLED version as reviewed does have an additional day of watch battery life even with the screen on all the time, enduring a solid eight to nine days between charges.
No-Phone Texting, Calls and Real-Time Location
The company uses its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and satellite service plan rather than relying on a watch plan tied to your mobile provider, as with other wearables. But in contrast to competing satellite-capable devices, emergency communication is not included for no cost.
Rather, plans begin from £7.99 or equivalent a month, which provides unlimited LTE SMS and voice messaging, calls and LiveTrack location tracking – so your friends or family can monitor you while out jogging, cycling or similar pursuits – along with emergency orbital SOS alerts.
Check-ins and texts over orbital are then charged on top, with more expensive plans offering various allowances of satellite usage, increasing to a £50 a month all-inclusive subscription. The watch comes with a 30-day free trial so you can evaluate the service.
Once you have completed setup, you just venture outside minus your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You cannot use it for streaming music or similar tasks, but you are able to place and receive calls, send texts and generally keep in touch with your relatives and friends.
When you text someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a random number, which they can respond to back to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger app, you can then message back and forth via typed or voice communications, and make voice calls. Your contact is not required to have a Garmin profile to use the Messenger application, only a mobile number is enough to sign up for texts.
Texting on the watch functions fine but composing texts on the small on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It has a collection of customisable canned replies you can use to expedite communication. Spoken messages and calls work OK, though as with most smartwatches, you’re not going to want to use it for extended conversations as the quality is not ideal.
LiveTrack is the most useful function. You can set it up to automatically send a link to selected contacts whenever you begin an activity, so they can follow your real time position on a map. It’s excellent for following competition performance, but it mostly acts as a utility for someone you rely on to be aware of your whereabouts in case an incident occurs. It has generally worked effectively, though the actual location has sometimes lagged when transitioning in and out of strong LTE coverage.
These capabilities are available on other Garmin devices if you carry your phone with you, but in locations where LTE does not reach, the satellite kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, location updates and emergency SOS.
A on-screen assistance displays you how to find the line of sight 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 lifeline, however it is important to remember that orbital coverage is limited to the US continent, the majority of Canada, and most of Europe except for regions of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees north.
Sustainability
The watch is typically repairable with options available via the support site. The battery is certified to retain at least 90% of its initial power after two years of regular charging. The watch does not contain any reused components. Garmin offers recycling schemes on recent purchases.
Price
The Fenix 8 Pro costs from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The additional Garmin inReach subscription packages cost from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Verdict
This Fenix 8 Pro takes a fantastic adventure watch in the standard Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for texting, call functionality and LiveTrack – along with orbital messaging, location update and emergency SOS for when you’re out of signal.
The result is an increasingly impressive outdoor device for those that want to be phone-free. If you wish to have someone keep an eye on you remotely while running after dark or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin accomplishes this without needing anything else.
It is very freeing to be outside without a phone, but that functionality carries a significant cost, both in terms of the substantial price of the watch and the monthly subscription of the inReach plan to enable the features. At least it is not reliant on your phone carrier so works with any brand of smartphone and carrier.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier device for someone who hates being burdened by their phone when jogging, cycling or trekking, but nevertheless wants to be locatable and contactable. For other users, it is a significant expense when the excellent Fenix 8 is already available.
Pros: LTE and satellite communication, high-luminance OLED display, tracks everything with premier GPS, built-in flashlight, voice and offline commands, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, full offline maps and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre diving, physical controls and touch.
Drawbacks: very expensive, LTE and satellite features need ongoing payment, limited Garmin Pay bank compatibility, speech capabilities are slow, limited smartwatch functionality versus Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
