This most recent model of Garmin's top-tier Fenix outdoor timepiece brings a life-saving feature: no-phone communication and emergency messaging via 4G LTE or satellite links.
This Fenix 8 Pro builds upon the previously outstanding Fenix 8 by adding cutting-edge mobile tech, plus an optional state-of-the-art microLED display in a limited edition. This is Garmin's premier model and engineered to be the single tool required to venture virtually anywhere and track every activity.
This makes it an very expensive 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 edition with microLED display – nearly twice the price of the standard Fenix 8.
Users receive a lot of features for your money, with industry-leading fitness, activity and adventure monitoring. The full offline maps of the globe can seamlessly guide you back to the trail if you lose your way without a phone, and appear great on the large, crisp and super-bright touchscreen.
This Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively offered in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, not the smaller 43mm size found in other models, 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 display on all the time, lasting a reliable eight to nine days between charging.
Phone-Free Texting, Calls and Real-Time Location
The company operates its own inReach LTE (4G) and satellite subscription plan rather than depending on a watch plan tied to your mobile carrier, as with other smartwatches. But in contrast to Apple or Google's satellite-enabled products, emergency communication is not included for free.
Rather, subscriptions start at £7.99 or similar a month, which includes unlimited LTE text and audio messages, call functionality and LiveTrack position sharing – so your contacts or family can monitor you while out jogging, biking or comparable pursuits – along with SOS satellite SOS alerts.
Check-ins and texts via satellite are then billed additionally, with more expensive subscriptions including different allowances of satellite use, climbing to a £50 a month all-inclusive subscription. The watch includes a 30-day free trial so you can test out the service.
After you have completed setup, you just venture the door minus your phone and the watch will link 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 family and companions.
Whenever you message someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a arbitrary number, which they can reply to back to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger app, you can then message back and forth using typed or spoken messages, and initiate voice calls. Your recipient is not required to have a Garmin profile to use the Messenger app, only a mobile number is sufficient to sign up for texts.
Texting on the watch functions fine but composing texts on the small on-screen keyboard is slow. It includes a set of customisable canned responses you can use to speed things up. Spoken recordings and calls perform OK, although as with most wearables, you’re unlikely going to wish to use it for lengthy conversations as the audio clarity is not fantastic.
LiveTrack is the most useful feature. You can configure to automatically send a URL to chosen contacts whenever you begin an exercise, so they can follow your real time position on a map. It’s great for monitoring competition progress, but it mostly acts as a tool for someone you trust to be aware of your whereabouts in case an incident occurs. It has typically worked well, though the real position has occasionally lagged when moving in and out of good LTE coverage.
All of these capabilities are available on other Garmin devices if you carry your phone with you, but in areas where LTE does not reach, the orbital kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, location check-ins and emergency SOS.
A on-screen assistance shows 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 vital safety feature, though it is essential to remember that orbital service is limited to the US mainland, most of Canada, and the majority of Europe except for parts of Scandinavia above 65 degrees north.
Environmental Impact
The watch is typically repairable with options available through the support portal. The battery is rated to retain at least 90% of its original power after two years of regular charging. The watch lacks any recycled materials. Garmin offers disposal programs on recent 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 service plans cost from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Conclusion
The Fenix 8 Pro takes a excellent outdoor watch in the regular Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for texting, calls and LiveTrack – plus satellite communication, location update and emergency SOS for when you’re without signal.
The result is an increasingly impressive adventure device for those that desire to be unplugged. If you want to have someone monitor you from afar while running after dark or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin accomplishes this without requiring additional gear.
It is very liberating to be outside without a phone, but that functionality carries a significant price, both in terms of the colossal price of the watch and the monthly subscription of the inReach plan to provide the service. Fortunately it isn’t reliant on your phone provider so works 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 jogging, biking or trekking, but nevertheless desires to be locatable and reachable. For other users, it is a significant money when the superb Fenix 8 is already available.
Pros: LTE and orbital communication, super-bright OLED screen, monitors everything with best-in-class GPS, integrated flashlight, voice and offline voice control, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, complete offline mapping and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre diving, physical controls and touch.
Cons: extremely expensive, LTE and satellite functions require ongoing payment, restricted Garmin Pay financial compatibility, voice capabilities are slow, basic wearable functionality compared with competing watches.
