This latest model of the flagship Fenix adventure watch includes a potentially lifesaving capability: phone-free messaging and SOS messaging via 4G LTE or orbital links.
The Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the already outstanding Fenix 8 by adding cutting-edge cellular tech, plus an optional state-of-the-art microLED display in a special edition. This is Garmin's premier model and designed to be the single tool required to venture virtually anywhere and monitor all your movements.
That positions it as an very pricey option, priced from £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED model and reaching a colossal £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.
You do get a lot of features for your investment, with industry-leading fitness, activity and adventure monitoring. The full offline mapping of the world can seamlessly direct you return to the path if you get lost without a phone, and appear great on the sizable, sharp and high-luminance touchscreen.
The Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively offered in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, not the more compact 43mm size available in other models, so it is a big watch for bigger wrists. But the 47mm OLED version as tested does have an extra day of smartwatch battery life despite the display on all the time, enduring a reliable eight to nine days between charging.
Phone-Free Texting, Calls and Real-Time Location
Garmin operates its own inReach LTE (4G) and orbital subscription plan rather than depending on a watch plan linked to your phone provider, like other smartwatches. However unlike Apple or Google's satellite-capable products, SOS communication is not provided for free.
Instead, subscriptions begin from £7.99 or equivalent a month, which includes unlimited LTE text and audio messages, calls and LiveTrack location sharing – so your friends or family can keep an eye on you while out jogging, cycling or comparable pursuits – plus emergency satellite SOS messaging.
Check-ins and messages over orbital are then billed additionally, with higher-tier subscriptions offering various quotas of satellite usage, increasing to a £50 a month unlimited subscription. The watch includes a 30-day free trial so you can test out the service.
After you have completed setup, you simply venture the door minus your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You cannot use it for playing music or similar activities, but you are able to place and receive calls, send texts and overall keep in touch with your relatives and friends.
When you message someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a arbitrary number, which they can reply to directly to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger app, you can then message back and forth using text or spoken messages, and initiate 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.
Texting on the watch functions adequately but composing texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It includes a collection of customisable pre-set replies you can send to expedite communication. Spoken messages and calls perform acceptably, though as with the majority of smartwatches, you’re not going to want to use it for extended discussions as the audio clarity is less than ideal.
LiveTrack is the handiest feature. You can set it up to automatically send a link to chosen contacts whenever you begin an activity, so they can follow your live position on a map. It’s great for following race performance, but it primarily serves as a tool for someone you trust to be aware of your whereabouts in case an incident occurs. It has typically functioned effectively, although the actual location has occasionally been delayed when moving in and out of strong 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 orbital activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, position updates and SOS SOS.
A guide displays you how to locate the line of sight to the orbital system, which then sends and receives communications within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was unexpectedly easy to use and could be a crucial safety feature, though it is important to note that orbital service is limited to the US continent, the majority of Canada, and most of Europe excluding parts of Scandinavia above 65 degrees north.
Sustainability
The watch is typically serviceable with services available through the support portal. The battery is rated to maintain at least 90% of its original power after two years of weekly charging. The watch does not contain any recycled materials. Garmin offers recycling schemes on recent purchases.
Cost
This Fenix 8 Pro costs 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).
Conclusion
This Fenix 8 Pro takes a excellent outdoor watch in the standard Fenix 8 and adds LTE for messaging, calls 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 desire to be unplugged. If you wish to have someone monitor you remotely while running after dark or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin does so without needing anything else.
This is quite freeing to be outdoors without a phone, but that functionality comes at a significant cost, both in terms of the colossal cost of the watch and the recurring fee of the inReach service to enable the features. At least it is not reliant on your phone carrier so works with all brand of smartphone and network.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier device for someone who hates being weighed down by their phone when running, biking or hiking, but still wants to be trackable and reachable. For other users, it is a lot of money when the excellent Fenix 8 already exists.
Advantages: LTE and orbital communication, super-bright OLED screen, tracks everything with best-in-class GPS, integrated torch, voice and standalone voice control, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, full offline maps and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre underwater use, buttons and touch.
Drawbacks: very expensive, LTE and orbital features need ongoing payment, limited Garmin Pay financial compatibility, speech features are slow, limited wearable functionality versus competing watches.
