This most recent model of Garmin's flagship Fenix adventure timepiece brings a potentially lifesaving feature: no-phone communication and emergency alerts using 4G LTE or satellite connections.
This Fenix 8 Pro enhances the already outstanding Fenix 8 by adding new mobile tech, plus an optional advanced microLED display in a special edition. This is the brand's top model and designed to be the single tool required to venture almost anywhere and monitor all your movements.
That positions it as an very expensive proposition, starting at £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED version and reaching a colossal £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 lot of functionality for your money, with best-in-class fitness, movement and adventure monitoring. Its complete offline mapping of the globe can seamlessly guide you back 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 offered in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, not the smaller 43mm version found in other models, so it is a big watch for larger wrists. But the 47mm OLED model as reviewed does have an extra day of smartwatch battery life despite the screen always active, enduring a reliable eight to nine days between charging.
Phone-Free Texting, Calling and Real-Time Location
Garmin operates its own inReach LTE (4G) and orbital service plan rather than depending on a watch plan linked to your mobile carrier, like other smartwatches. But in contrast to Apple or Google's satellite-capable devices, SOS communication is not included for no cost.
Instead, subscriptions start at £7.99 or similar a month, which includes unlimited LTE SMS and voice messages, calls and LiveTrack position tracking – so your friends or loved ones can monitor you while engaged in jogging, biking or similar pursuits – along with SOS satellite SOS alerts.
Location updates and messages over satellite are then charged additionally, with more expensive plans including different allowances of satellite usage, climbing to a £50 a month unlimited subscription. The watch comes with a 30-day free trial so you can evaluate the service.
After you have got it set up, you simply head out outside minus your phone and the watch will link to LTE. You cannot use it for playing music or comparable activities, but you are able to place and receive calls, dispatch texts and overall keep in touch with your family and companions.
Whenever you text someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a random phone number, which they can respond to back to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger application, you can then message reciprocally using typed or spoken messages, and make voice calls. Your contact does not need a Garmin profile to use the Messenger application, just a phone number is enough to register for texts.
Texting on the watch works fine but composing texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is slow. It includes a set of personalizable canned responses you can send to speed things up. Voice recordings and calls work acceptably, although as with most smartwatches, you’re not going to wish 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 send a URL to chosen contacts every time you start an exercise, so they can follow your real time location on a map. It’s excellent for monitoring competition performance, but it primarily serves as a tool for someone you trust to know your whereabouts in case an incident occurs. It has generally functioned well, though the actual position has sometimes 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 locations where LTE does not reach, the satellite activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, position updates and SOS SOS.
A on-screen assistance displays you how to locate the line of sight to the orbital system, which then transmits and gets messages within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was surprisingly easy to use and could be a crucial safety feature, though it is important to remember that satellite service is limited to the US mainland, most of Canada, and the majority of Europe except for parts of Scandinavia above 65 degrees latitude.
Sustainability
The watch is typically repairable with options offered via the support site. The battery is certified to retain at least 90% of its original power after two years of regular charging. The watch lacks any recycled materials. Garmin offers recycling schemes 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 subscription packages begin from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Verdict
The Fenix 8 Pro builds on a fantastic adventure watch in the standard Fenix 8 and adds LTE for messaging, call functionality and LiveTrack – along with satellite messaging, check-in and SOS SOS for when you’re out of signal.
Outcome is an even more remarkable adventure tool for those that desire to be phone-free. If you wish to have someone keep an eye on you remotely while exercising after dark or in the remote areas, the Garmin does so without requiring anything else.
It is quite liberating to be outdoors without a phone, but that capability comes at quite a cost, both in terms of the substantial price of the watch and the monthly subscription of the inReach plan to provide the features. Fortunately it isn’t reliant on your phone provider so works with any brand of smartphone and network.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a killer device for someone who hates being weighed down by their phone when running, cycling or hiking, but still desires to be locatable and reachable. For other users, it is a lot of expense when the excellent Fenix 8 is already available.
Pros: LTE and orbital communication, super-bright OLED display, tracks all activities with premier GPS, built-in torch, phone and standalone voice control, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, complete offline maps and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre diving, physical controls and touchscreen.
Cons: very expensive, LTE and orbital functions require ongoing subscription, limited Garmin Pay financial support, voice features are sluggish, limited smartwatch functionality versus competing watches.
