This newest model of the top-tier Fenix adventure watch brings a potentially lifesaving capability: no-phone communication and emergency alerts using 4G LTE or orbital links.
This Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the already outstanding Fenix 8 by incorporating new mobile technology, along with an optional advanced microLED display in a limited edition. This is Garmin's top device and engineered to be the single tool required to venture almost anywhere and track 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 climbing to a colossal £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm edition with microLED screen – nearly double the price of the standard Fenix 8.
You do receive a lot of features for your money, with industry-leading fitness, activity and adventure tracking. The complete offline mapping of the globe can seamlessly guide you return to the path if you get lost without a phone, and appear excellent on the large, sharp and high-luminance touchscreen.
This Fenix 8 Pro is only 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. But the 47mm OLED version as tested does have an additional day of smartwatch battery life even with the screen always active, lasting a reliable eight to nine days between charges.
Phone-Free Messaging, Calling and Live Tracking
Garmin uses its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and satellite service service instead of relying on a watch plan tied to your mobile carrier, as with other wearables. However in contrast to competing satellite-capable products, emergency communication is not provided for no cost.
Rather, subscriptions begin from £7.99 or similar a month, which includes limitless LTE text and voice messages, calls and LiveTrack position tracking – so your friends or loved ones can keep an eye on you while out running, cycling or similar activities – plus emergency orbital SOS alerts.
Location updates and texts via satellite are then charged additionally, with more expensive plans offering different quotas of orbital usage, climbing to a £50 a month unlimited subscription. The watch comes with a 30-day trial period so you can evaluate the functionality.
Once you have completed setup, you just head out the door without your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You can not use it for streaming music or similar tasks, but you can place and receive calls, dispatch texts and generally stay connected with your family and companions.
Whenever you text someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a arbitrary phone number, which they can reply to back to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger application, you can then communicate reciprocally using text or spoken communications, and initiate voice calls. Your recipient does not need a Garmin account to use the Messenger app, only a mobile number is enough to register for texts.
Messaging on the watch works fine but typing out texts on the small on-screen keyboard is slow. It has a set of personalizable canned responses you can send to expedite communication. Spoken recordings 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 fantastic.
LiveTrack is the most useful function. You can set it up to on its own transmit a URL to selected contacts whenever you start an exercise, so they can track your real time location on a map. It’s great for monitoring race performance, but it primarily acts as a tool for someone you rely on to know your location in case an incident occurs. It has generally worked well, though the actual position has occasionally lagged when transitioning in and out of strong LTE signal.
All of these capabilities are available on other Garmin watches if you carry your phone with you, but in areas where LTE lacks coverage, the satellite activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, position updates and SOS SOS.
A guide displays you how to find the clear view to the satellite, which then transmits and gets communications within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was surprisingly straightforward to use and could be a crucial safety feature, though it is important to remember that satellite service is restricted to the US continent, the majority of Canada, and most of Europe excluding regions of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees latitude.
Sustainability
The watch is typically repairable with options offered through the support site. The battery is rated to retain at least 90% of its initial capacity after two years of regular charging. The watch does not contain any recycled 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 service packages begin from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Verdict
This Fenix 8 Pro takes a excellent outdoor watch in the standard Fenix 8 and adds LTE for messaging, calls and LiveTrack – plus satellite messaging, check-in and emergency SOS for when you’re out of signal.
The result is an increasingly impressive adventure device for those that desire to be phone-free. If you wish to have someone monitor you remotely while running after dark or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin accomplishes this without requiring anything else.
This is quite freeing to be outdoors without a phone, but that capability comes at a significant price, both in terms of the colossal price of the watch and the monthly fee of the inReach plan to provide the features. Fortunately it isn’t dependent on your phone carrier so functions with any make of smartphone and network.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier device for someone who dislikes being burdened by their phone when running, cycling or hiking, but still wants to be trackable and contactable. For other users, it is a lot of expense when the superb Fenix 8 is already available.
Advantages: LTE and satellite communication, super-bright OLED screen, tracks all activities with premier GPS, built-in torch, voice and offline commands, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, complete offline maps and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre underwater use, physical controls and touchscreen.
Cons: very expensive, LTE and orbital functions require ongoing payment, restricted Garmin Pay financial compatibility, speech features are sluggish, limited smartwatch functionality compared with competing watches.
