This newest version of Garmin's flagship Fenix outdoor timepiece includes a life-saving capability: no-phone communication and SOS alerts via 4G LTE or satellite connections.
This Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the already outstanding Fenix 8 by adding cutting-edge cellular technology, along with an optional advanced microLED screen in a special edition. This is the brand's premier model and designed to be the single gadget needed to venture virtually any location and monitor every activity.
That makes it an extremely pricey proposition, priced from £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 screen – nearly twice the price of the regular Fenix 8.
You do get a lot of features for your money, with best-in-class fitness, activity and outdoor monitoring. The complete offline maps of the world can automatically guide you return to the path if you lose your way without a phone, and appear excellent on the large, crisp and high-luminance display.
This Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively offered in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, not the smaller 43mm size found in other devices, so it is a large watch for bigger wrists. But the 47mm OLED version as reviewed does have an additional day of watch battery life despite the display on all the time, lasting a solid eight to nine days between charges.
Phone-Free Texting, Calls and Real-Time Location
Garmin uses its own inReach LTE (4G) and satellite service plan rather than depending on a watch plan linked to your phone provider, as with other smartwatches. But unlike Apple or Google's satellite-capable products, emergency communication is not included for free.
Rather, plans start at £7.99 or similar a month, which provides limitless LTE SMS and voice messages, calls and LiveTrack position tracking – so your contacts or loved ones can keep an eye on you while out jogging, cycling or similar pursuits – along with SOS satellite SOS messaging.
Check-ins and messages via orbital are then charged additionally, with more expensive plans including various quotas of orbital use, increasing to a £50 a month all-inclusive plan. The watch includes a 30-day free trial so you can test out the functionality.
Once you have completed setup, you just head out outside without your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You can not use it for streaming music or similar activities, but you are able to make and take calls, dispatch texts and overall keep in touch with your family and companions.
Whenever you message someone, Garmin sends them an SMS from a random number, which they can reply to back to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger application, you can then message reciprocally using text or spoken communications, and make 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 functions fine but composing texts on the small on-screen keyboard is slow. It has a set of personalizable canned replies you can send to expedite communication. Voice recordings and calls work OK, though as with the majority of smartwatches, you’re not going to want to use it for lengthy conversations as the quality is not ideal.
LiveTrack is the handiest function. You can configure to automatically send a link to selected contacts whenever you start an exercise, so they can follow your live 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 something happens. It has generally worked well, though the real position has sometimes lagged when transitioning in and out of strong LTE coverage.
These features are available on other Garmin devices if you carry your phone with you, but in locations where LTE lacks coverage, the satellite activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, position check-ins and emergency SOS.
A on-screen assistance shows you how to locate the line of sight to the orbital system, which then sends and receives communications within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was surprisingly straightforward to use and could be a crucial safety feature, however it is essential to note that satellite coverage is limited to the US mainland, most of Canada, and the majority of Europe excluding regions of Scandinavia above 65 degrees latitude.
Sustainability
The watch is typically serviceable with options offered via the customer service site. The battery is certified to maintain at least 90% of its initial capacity after two years of regular charging. The watch does not contain any recycled materials. Garmin provides recycling schemes on new purchases.
Cost
This Fenix 8 Pro is priced from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The optional Garmin inReach service packages cost from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Conclusion
The Fenix 8 Pro takes a fantastic adventure watch in the standard Fenix 8 and adds LTE for texting, calls and LiveTrack – plus satellite communication, location update and emergency SOS for when you’re without signal.
Outcome is an increasingly impressive outdoor device for those that desire to be unplugged. If you want to have someone keep an eye on you remotely while running out at night or in the remote areas, the Garmin does so without requiring anything else.
This is quite liberating to be outside without a phone, but that functionality comes at quite a price, both in terms of the substantial cost of the watch and the monthly fee of the inReach service to enable the service. At least it is not reliant on your phone provider so functions with any brand of smartphone and network.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a killer device for someone who dislikes being burdened by their phone when jogging, biking or trekking, but nevertheless desires to be locatable and contactable. For everyone else, it is a significant money when the excellent Fenix 8 is already available.
Advantages: LTE and satellite messaging, super-bright OLED display, tracks all activities with best-in-class GPS, integrated torch, phone and standalone commands, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, complete offline mapping and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre diving, physical controls and touchscreen.
Cons: extremely costly, LTE and orbital functions need ongoing payment, limited Garmin Pay bank support, speech features are slow, limited smartwatch features versus Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
