This latest iteration of Garmin's premium Fenix adventure watch brings a life-saving feature: no-phone messaging and emergency alerts via 4G LTE or satellite links.
This Fenix 8 Pro builds upon the previously impressive Fenix 8 by incorporating cutting-edge cellular tech, along with an optional advanced microLED display in a special edition. It is the brand's top model and engineered to be the single gadget needed to explore virtually anywhere and monitor every activity.
That makes it an extremely expensive 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 variant with microLED screen – nearly double the cost of the regular Fenix 8.
You do receive a significant features for your money, with industry-leading workout, activity and outdoor monitoring. Its complete offline maps of the world can seamlessly direct you back to the path if you get lost without a phone, and look great on the large, crisp and super-bright touchscreen.
The Fenix 8 Pro is only available in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, not the more compact 43mm version available in other models, so it is a big watch for larger wrists. But the 47mm OLED version as reviewed boasts an extra day of smartwatch battery life even with the display on all the time, enduring a solid eight to nine days between charging.
No-Phone Messaging, Calling and Live Tracking
The company uses its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and satellite service service instead of depending on a watch plan tied to your mobile carrier, as with other wearables. But in contrast to Apple or Google's satellite-enabled devices, emergency communication is not included for no cost.
Rather, plans begin from £7.99 or similar a month, which provides unlimited LTE SMS and voice messages, call functionality and LiveTrack position sharing – so your friends or loved ones can monitor you while engaged in jogging, biking or comparable pursuits – plus emergency satellite SOS messaging.
Check-ins and texts via orbital are then charged on top, with more expensive plans offering various quotas of satellite usage, climbing to a £50 a month all-inclusive subscription. The watch comes with a 30-day free trial so you can test out the service.
After you have got it set up, you simply head out outside without your phone and the watch will link to LTE. You can not use it for playing music or comparable activities, but you can place and receive calls, dispatch texts and overall stay connected with your relatives and companions.
Whenever you message someone, Garmin sends them an SMS from a arbitrary phone number, which they can respond to back to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger app, you can then communicate reciprocally using text or spoken communications, and initiate voice calls. Your recipient is not required to have a Garmin account to use the Messenger app, just a mobile number is sufficient to sign up for texts.
Texting on the watch functions adequately but composing texts on the small on-screen keyboard is slow. It has a set of customisable pre-set replies you can use to speed things up. Spoken messages and calls perform acceptably, though as with the majority of wearables, you’re unlikely going to want to use it for lengthy conversations as the audio clarity is less than ideal.
LiveTrack is the most useful function. You can set it up to on its own send a URL to selected 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 acts as a utility for someone you trust to be aware of your whereabouts in case an incident occurs. It has typically worked effectively, though the real location has occasionally lagged when transitioning in and out of strong LTE signal.
All of these capabilities are accessible on other Garmin watches if you carry your phone with you, but in areas where LTE does not reach, the orbital activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, position check-ins and SOS SOS.
A guide shows you how to find the line of sight to the satellite, which then transmits and gets messages 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 orbital coverage is limited to the US mainland, most of Canada, and most of Europe except for parts of Scandinavia above 65 degrees latitude.
Environmental Impact
The watch is generally serviceable with options offered via the support portal. The battery is rated to maintain at least 90% of its original power after two years of weekly charging. The watch does not contain any reused materials. Garmin provides disposal programs on new purchases.
Price
This Fenix 8 Pro costs from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The optional Garmin inReach subscription plans cost from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Verdict
This Fenix 8 Pro builds on a fantastic outdoor watch in the regular Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for texting, call functionality and LiveTrack – plus orbital communication, check-in and emergency SOS for when you’re without coverage.
The result is an even more impressive outdoor device for those that desire to be unplugged. If you want to have someone monitor you from afar while exercising after dark or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin does so without needing additional gear.
This is quite liberating to be outdoors without a phone, but that capability comes at quite a cost, both in terms of the substantial cost of the watch and the recurring subscription of the inReach service to enable the features. Fortunately it isn’t reliant on your phone provider so functions with any brand of smartphone and carrier.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier device for someone who hates being weighed down by their phone when jogging, biking or hiking, but still wants to be locatable and reachable. For other users, it is a lot of money when the excellent Fenix 8 already exists.
Pros: LTE and orbital communication, high-luminance OLED display, monitors everything with best-in-class GPS, integrated torch, voice and standalone commands, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, full offline maps and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre underwater use, physical controls and touchscreen.
Drawbacks: extremely costly, LTE and satellite features need ongoing payment, restricted Garmin Pay financial support, speech features are slow, limited smartwatch features versus competing watches.
