This latest model of Garmin's premium Fenix adventure timepiece includes a potentially lifesaving feature: phone-free communication and emergency alerts via 4G LTE or satellite connections.
The Fenix 8 Pro enhances the already outstanding Fenix 8 by incorporating new mobile tech, plus an optional advanced microLED screen in a special edition. This is the brand's premier model and engineered to be the single gadget required to explore almost any location and track every activity.
This positions it as an very pricey proposition, priced from £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 edition with microLED screen – almost twice the cost of the standard Fenix 8.
You do get a lot of features for your money, with industry-leading fitness, activity and outdoor tracking. The full offline maps of the world can seamlessly direct you back to the path if you lose your way without a phone, and look excellent on the sizable, sharp and high-luminance display.
This Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively offered in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, not the smaller 43mm version available in other devices, so it is a large watch for bigger wrists. However the 47mm OLED version as reviewed boasts an additional day of watch battery life despite the screen on all the time, lasting a solid eight to nine days between charges.
Phone-Free Texting, Calling and Real-Time Location
Garmin uses its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and satellite subscription service rather than relying on a watch plan linked to your phone provider, as with other smartwatches. But in contrast to Apple or Google's satellite-enabled devices, SOS communication is not provided for no cost.
Rather, plans start at £7.99 or equivalent a month, which includes limitless LTE text and audio messaging, call functionality and LiveTrack location sharing – so your contacts or loved ones can keep an eye on you while out running, cycling or comparable activities – along with SOS satellite SOS alerts.
Check-ins and texts via orbital are then billed on top, with more expensive plans including different allowances of satellite usage, increasing to a £50 a month all-inclusive plan. The watch comes with a 30-day trial period so you can test out the service.
After you have completed setup, you simply head out outside without your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You cannot use it for playing music or similar tasks, but you can place and receive calls, dispatch texts and generally stay connected with your relatives and friends.
When you message someone, Garmin sends them an SMS from a random number, which they can respond to directly to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger application, you can then message back and forth using typed or spoken messages, and initiate voice calls. Your contact does not need a Garmin account to use the Messenger application, only a phone number is enough to sign up for texts.
Messaging on the watch works fine but composing texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is slow. It has a set of customisable pre-set replies you can use to speed things up. Spoken recordings and calls work acceptably, although as with the majority of wearables, you’re unlikely going to wish to use it for extended conversations as the audio clarity is less than fantastic.
LiveTrack is the most useful function. You can set it up to on its own send a link to chosen contacts every time you start an activity, so they can track your live location on a map. It’s excellent for following competition progress, but it mostly serves as a tool for someone you trust to know your whereabouts in case something happens. It has generally worked well, although the actual location has occasionally lagged when transitioning in and out of good LTE coverage.
These capabilities are accessible on other Garmin devices if you bring your phone with you, but in areas where LTE lacks coverage, the orbital kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, position check-ins and SOS SOS.
A guide displays you how to find the clear view 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 safety feature, though it is essential to note that orbital service is limited to the US mainland, most of Canada, and most of Europe excluding parts of Scandinavia above 65 degrees latitude.
Sustainability
The watch is typically repairable with services available through the customer service portal. The battery is rated to maintain at least 90% of its original capacity after two years of regular charging. The watch does not contain any reused materials. Garmin provides disposal programs on recent purchases.
Price
This Fenix 8 Pro is priced from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The additional Garmin inReach service packages cost from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Conclusion
The Fenix 8 Pro takes a excellent adventure watch in the regular Fenix 8 and adds LTE for texting, call functionality and LiveTrack – plus orbital communication, location update and emergency SOS for when you’re without coverage.
The result is an even more remarkable outdoor tool for those that want to be phone-free. If you wish to have someone monitor you from afar while exercising after dark or in the remote areas, the Garmin accomplishes this without needing anything else.
This is quite freeing to be outdoors without a phone, but that functionality comes at quite a cost, both in terms of the substantial price of the watch and the recurring subscription of the inReach plan to enable the service. At least it isn’t reliant on your phone carrier so functions with all brand of smartphone and network.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier gadget for someone who dislikes being weighed down by their phone when jogging, cycling or hiking, but still wants to be locatable and contactable. For everyone else, it is a significant expense when the excellent Fenix 8 is already available.
Advantages: LTE and orbital communication, high-luminance OLED screen, monitors all activities with best-in-class GPS, integrated flashlight, voice and standalone voice control, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, complete offline mapping and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre underwater use, physical controls and touchscreen.
Drawbacks: extremely costly, LTE and satellite features require monthly payment, limited Garmin Pay bank support, speech capabilities are sluggish, basic smartwatch functionality versus competing watches.
