This newest iteration of Garmin's top-tier Fenix outdoor timepiece brings a potentially lifesaving feature: no-phone communication and SOS alerts via 4G LTE or satellite links.
This Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the previously outstanding Fenix 8 by adding cutting-edge mobile tech, along with an optional state-of-the-art microLED screen in a special edition. It is Garmin's premier model and engineered to be the only tool required to explore virtually anywhere and track all your movements.
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 variant with microLED display – almost double the price of the regular Fenix 8.
You do get a lot of features for your money, with best-in-class fitness, movement and adventure monitoring. Its complete offline mapping of the globe can seamlessly guide you return to the trail if you lose your way absent a phone, and look excellent on the sizable, crisp and super-bright touchscreen.
This Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively available in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, not the more compact 43mm version available in other devices, so it is a large watch for bigger wrists. But the 47mm OLED version as reviewed boasts an additional day of watch battery life despite the screen on all the time, enduring a reliable eight to nine days between charging.
No-Phone Texting, Calls and Real-Time Location
Garmin operates its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and satellite service service rather than depending on a watch plan tied to your mobile carrier, as with other wearables. But in contrast to competing satellite-capable products, SOS messaging is not included for no cost.
Instead, subscriptions begin from £7.99 or similar a month, which provides unlimited LTE text and voice messages, call functionality and LiveTrack location sharing – so your contacts or family can keep an eye on you while engaged in jogging, biking or comparable pursuits – plus SOS satellite SOS alerts.
Check-ins and texts via orbital are then billed additionally, with higher-tier subscriptions offering various quotas of satellite usage, climbing to a £50 a month unlimited plan. The watch includes a 30-day free trial 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 playing music or comparable tasks, but you can place and receive calls, dispatch texts and overall keep in touch with your relatives and friends.
When you text someone, Garmin sends them an SMS from a random phone number, which they can respond to directly to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger app, you can then communicate reciprocally using text or voice messages, and initiate voice calls. Your contact does not need a Garmin account to use the Messenger application, just a mobile number is enough to register for texts.
Texting on the watch works adequately but typing out texts on the small on-screen keyboard is slow. It has a collection of customisable pre-set replies you can use to expedite communication. Spoken recordings and calls perform acceptably, although as with the majority of wearables, you’re unlikely going to wish to use it for lengthy discussions as the quality is less than ideal.
LiveTrack is the most useful function. You can set it up to automatically send a URL to chosen contacts every time you begin an exercise, so they can track your real time position on a map. It’s excellent for following race performance, but it mostly acts as a tool for someone you trust to know your whereabouts in case an incident occurs. It has typically worked effectively, though the real position has occasionally lagged when transitioning in and out of good LTE signal.
All of these features are available on other Garmin devices if you bring your phone with you, but in locations where LTE does not reach, the satellite activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, position check-ins and SOS SOS.
A guide shows you how to locate the clear view 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 vital safety feature, however it is important to remember that satellite coverage is limited to the US continent, the majority of Canada, and most of Europe except for parts of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees north.
Sustainability
The watch is typically repairable with services available through the customer service portal. The battery is certified to maintain at least 90% of its initial power after two years of weekly charging. The watch does not contain any reused components. Garmin offers disposal schemes on recent purchases.
Cost
This Fenix 8 Pro costs from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The additional Garmin inReach subscription plans cost from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Verdict
The Fenix 8 Pro takes a excellent outdoor watch in the standard Fenix 8 and adds LTE for texting, calls and LiveTrack – along with satellite messaging, check-in and emergency SOS for when you’re out of signal.
Outcome is an even more impressive outdoor device for those that want to be unplugged. If you want to have someone monitor you remotely while running after dark or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin does so without needing anything else.
This is very freeing to be outside without a phone, but that functionality carries a significant cost, both in terms of the substantial cost of the watch and the recurring subscription of the inReach plan to enable the features. Fortunately it is not reliant on your phone carrier so works with any make of smartphone and network.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier gadget for someone who hates being weighed down by their phone when jogging, cycling or hiking, but still desires to be trackable and reachable. For everyone else, it is a significant expense when the excellent Fenix 8 already exists.
Pros: LTE and satellite communication, super-bright OLED display, tracks all activities with best-in-class GPS, integrated torch, phone and offline commands, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, complete offline maps and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre diving, buttons and touchscreen.
Drawbacks: extremely expensive, LTE and orbital features require ongoing subscription, limited Garmin Pay bank support, voice capabilities are sluggish, limited smartwatch features compared with Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
