This most recent version of Garmin's flagship Fenix outdoor timepiece includes a life-saving capability: no-phone messaging and emergency alerts using 4G LTE or orbital connections.
This Fenix 8 Pro builds upon the already impressive Fenix 8 by adding cutting-edge mobile technology, along with an optional state-of-the-art microLED display in a limited edition. It is Garmin's top device and designed to be the single gadget required to venture almost any location and monitor every activity.
That makes it an very pricey proposition, starting at £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED version and climbing to a substantial £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm variant with microLED display – nearly twice the cost of the regular Fenix 8.
Users receive a significant functionality for your money, with industry-leading workout, movement and outdoor tracking. Its complete offline maps of the globe can seamlessly guide you return to the trail if you get lost absent a phone, and look great on the large, crisp and super-bright display.
This Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively available in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, not the smaller 43mm size available in other devices, so it is a big watch for bigger wrists. However the 47mm OLED version as tested boasts an extra day of watch battery life even with the screen on all the time, enduring a solid eight to nine days between charges.
Phone-Free Messaging, Calling and Real-Time Location
The company uses its own inReach LTE (4G) and orbital service plan rather than depending on a watch plan linked to your mobile carrier, as with other wearables. However unlike Apple or Google's satellite-capable devices, SOS communication is not provided for free.
Instead, subscriptions start at £7.99 or equivalent a month, which provides limitless LTE SMS and voice messaging, calls and LiveTrack location sharing – so your friends or family can keep an eye on you while out running, cycling or comparable pursuits – along with SOS orbital SOS alerts.
Check-ins and messages via satellite are then charged on top, with higher-tier plans including various quotas of orbital use, increasing to a £50 a month all-inclusive subscription. The watch includes a 30-day trial period so you can test out the functionality.
After you have completed setup, you just head out the door minus your phone and the watch will link to LTE. You can not use it for streaming music or similar tasks, but you can make and take calls, send texts and overall stay connected with your relatives and friends.
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 back and forth via text or voice messages, and initiate voice calls. Your recipient does not need a Garmin account to use the Messenger app, just a phone number is sufficient to register for texts.
Messaging on the watch functions adequately but typing out texts on the small on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It has a set of customisable pre-set replies you can send to speed things up. Spoken recordings and calls work acceptably, though as with most wearables, you’re unlikely going to want to use it for extended conversations as the audio clarity is not ideal.
LiveTrack is the handiest feature. You can set it up to automatically transmit a link to selected contacts every time you start an exercise, so they can track your live location on a map. It’s great for monitoring race progress, but it mostly serves as a utility for someone you rely on to know your whereabouts in case something happens. It has generally worked effectively, though the real position has occasionally lagged when transitioning in and out of good LTE coverage.
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 activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, position updates and emergency SOS.
A guide shows you how to find the line of sight to the orbital system, which then transmits and gets communications within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was surprisingly easy to use and could be a vital lifeline, though it is important to remember that satellite coverage is limited to the US continent, most of Canada, and most of Europe excluding parts of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees north.
Sustainability
The watch is typically serviceable with services available via the support portal. The battery is certified to retain at least 90% of its original capacity after two years of regular charging. The watch lacks any recycled components. Garmin offers recycling schemes on new purchases.
Price
This Fenix 8 Pro is priced from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The optional Garmin inReach service plans cost from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Conclusion
This Fenix 8 Pro takes a fantastic outdoor watch in the standard Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for texting, call functionality and LiveTrack – along with orbital messaging, location update and SOS SOS for when you’re out of signal.
The result is an even more impressive adventure device for those that desire to be unplugged. If you wish to have someone monitor you from afar while exercising out at night or in the remote areas, the Garmin accomplishes this without needing additional gear.
This is very freeing to be outdoors without a phone, but that functionality carries a significant cost, both in terms of the substantial price of the watch and the monthly fee of the inReach plan to enable the features. Fortunately it is not reliant on your phone provider so functions with any make of smartphone and carrier.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a killer gadget for someone who hates being weighed down by their phone when running, cycling or trekking, but nevertheless wants to be trackable and reachable. For other users, it is a significant money when the excellent Fenix 8 already exists.
Pros: LTE and orbital messaging, high-luminance OLED screen, tracks everything with best-in-class GPS, built-in flashlight, phone and offline voice control, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, complete offline mapping and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre diving, buttons and touch.
Cons: extremely expensive, LTE and orbital functions require monthly payment, limited Garmin Pay financial compatibility, voice features are sluggish, limited wearable functionality compared with Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
