This newest version of Garmin's top-tier Fenix outdoor timepiece brings a life-saving capability: no-phone messaging and emergency alerts using 4G LTE or orbital links.
The Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the already impressive Fenix 8 by adding new cellular tech, plus an optional advanced microLED display in a special edition. This is the brand's top model and engineered to be the single tool required to venture virtually any location and track every activity.
That positions it as an very expensive option, priced from £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 – almost double the cost of the standard Fenix 8.
You do receive a lot of features for your investment, with best-in-class fitness, movement and adventure monitoring. Its complete offline mapping of the world can seamlessly direct you return to the trail if you get lost absent a phone, and look excellent on the large, sharp and high-luminance touchscreen.
The Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively available in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, not the smaller 43mm version found in other models, so it is a large watch for bigger wrists. However the 47mm OLED model as tested does have an extra day of watch battery life despite the display on all the time, enduring a solid eight to nine days between charges.
No-Phone Texting, Calling and Real-Time Location
Garmin operates its own inReach LTE (4G) and satellite subscription plan rather than depending on a watch plan tied to your phone carrier, like other smartwatches. But unlike Apple or Google's satellite-enabled products, SOS messaging is not provided for no cost.
Rather, subscriptions start at £7.99 or similar a month, which provides unlimited LTE SMS and voice messages, calls and LiveTrack position sharing – so your friends or loved ones can keep an eye on you while engaged in jogging, biking or similar pursuits – along with SOS satellite SOS messaging.
Check-ins and texts via orbital are then charged additionally, with more expensive subscriptions offering various quotas of orbital use, climbing to a £50 a month unlimited subscription. The watch includes a 30-day free trial so you can test out the functionality.
After you have completed setup, you simply venture the door minus 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 overall keep in touch with your relatives and friends.
Whenever you text someone, Garmin sends them an SMS from a arbitrary number, which they can respond to directly to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger app, you can then message back and forth using text or voice communications, and initiate voice calls. Your contact 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 fine but composing texts on the small on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It has a collection of personalizable pre-set responses you can use to speed things up. Voice messages and calls perform OK, though as with most wearables, you’re not going to wish to use it for extended conversations as the quality is not fantastic.
LiveTrack is the handiest feature. You can configure to on its own send a link to chosen contacts whenever you start an activity, so they can track your real time position on a map. It’s great for following race performance, but it mostly acts as a tool for someone you trust to know your location in case an incident occurs. It has typically worked well, though the actual position has sometimes been delayed when transitioning in and out of good LTE signal.
These capabilities are accessible 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 send texts, position updates and SOS SOS.
A on-screen assistance displays you how to find the line of sight to the satellite, which then transmits and gets communications within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was unexpectedly straightforward to use and could be a crucial lifeline, though it is important to note that satellite service is restricted to the US mainland, the majority of Canada, and the majority of Europe excluding regions of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees latitude.
Environmental Impact
The watch is typically repairable with options available via the customer service site. The battery is rated to maintain at least 90% of its original capacity after two years of weekly charging. The watch lacks any reused materials. Garmin provides disposal programs 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 plans begin from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Conclusion
The Fenix 8 Pro takes a fantastic adventure watch in the regular Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for messaging, calls and LiveTrack – plus satellite communication, location update and SOS SOS for when you’re without signal.
The result is an increasingly impressive adventure tool for those that want 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 does so without needing additional gear.
This is quite freeing to be outdoors without a phone, but that functionality carries a significant cost, both in terms of the colossal cost of the watch and the monthly fee of the inReach plan to enable the service. At least it isn’t reliant on your phone provider so functions with all make of smartphone and network.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier device for someone who hates being weighed down by their phone when jogging, biking or trekking, but still desires to be locatable and contactable. For other users, it is a significant expense when the superb Fenix 8 is already available.
Advantages: LTE and satellite communication, high-luminance OLED screen, tracks everything with premier GPS, integrated torch, voice and offline commands, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, complete offline mapping and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre diving, buttons and touch.
Drawbacks: very costly, LTE and satellite features need monthly subscription, limited Garmin Pay financial support, speech capabilities are slow, basic smartwatch functionality compared with Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
