This newest iteration of Garmin's flagship Fenix adventure timepiece brings a potentially lifesaving feature: phone-free communication and SOS alerts via 4G LTE or orbital connections.
The Fenix 8 Pro builds upon the already impressive Fenix 8 by adding cutting-edge cellular tech, along with an available state-of-the-art microLED screen in a special edition. This is the brand's premier device and engineered to be the single tool needed to explore virtually anywhere and track all your movements.
This positions it as an extremely pricey proposition, priced from £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED model and reaching a substantial £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm edition with microLED screen – almost double the price of the standard Fenix 8.
Users receive a lot of functionality for your investment, with industry-leading fitness, movement and adventure tracking. The complete offline mapping of the world can seamlessly direct you back to the path if you lose your way absent a phone, and look great on the large, sharp and high-luminance touchscreen.
The Fenix 8 Pro is only available in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, omitting the smaller 43mm size found in other devices, so it is a big watch for larger wrists. However the 47mm OLED version as reviewed boasts an additional day of smartwatch battery life even with the display always active, lasting a solid eight to nine days between charging.
No-Phone Texting, Calling and Live Tracking
The company uses its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and orbital service plan instead of depending on a watch plan tied to your phone carrier, like other wearables. However in contrast to competing satellite-capable products, SOS communication is not included for no cost.
Instead, plans start at £7.99 or equivalent a month, which provides limitless LTE text and audio messaging, calls and LiveTrack position tracking – so your contacts or loved ones can keep an eye on you while engaged in jogging, biking or similar pursuits – along with emergency satellite SOS alerts.
Check-ins and texts via orbital are then charged on top, with more expensive plans offering various quotas of orbital use, increasing to a £50 a month all-inclusive plan. The watch includes a 30-day trial period so you can evaluate the service.
After you have completed setup, you just head out the door without your phone and the watch will link to LTE. You cannot use it for playing music or similar activities, but you are able to make and take calls, send texts and overall keep in touch with your family and companions.
When you text someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a arbitrary phone number, which they can reply to directly to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger app, you can then communicate reciprocally via text or spoken messages, and initiate voice calls. Your recipient is not required to have a Garmin account to use the Messenger app, only a phone number is sufficient to sign up for texts.
Texting on the watch functions fine but typing out texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It has a collection of customisable canned responses you can send to speed things up. Voice recordings and calls work OK, although as with most wearables, you’re unlikely going to wish to use it for extended conversations as the quality is less than ideal.
LiveTrack is the most useful function. You can set it up to automatically send a URL to selected contacts whenever you start an activity, so they can track your real time position on a map. It’s great for monitoring competition performance, but it mostly serves as a tool for someone you trust to know your location in case something happens. It has generally functioned well, though the real location has sometimes been delayed when transitioning in and out of strong LTE coverage.
These features are available on other Garmin devices if you bring your phone with you, but in areas where LTE does not reach, the satellite kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, location check-ins and SOS SOS.
A on-screen assistance shows you how to locate the clear view to the satellite, 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, however it is essential to note that orbital service is restricted to the US mainland, most of Canada, and the majority of Europe excluding regions of Scandinavia above 65 degrees north.
Sustainability
The watch is typically repairable with services offered via the support portal. The battery is certified to maintain at least 90% of its original capacity after two years of regular charging. The watch lacks any recycled materials. Garmin provides recycling schemes on recent purchases.
Price
The 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).
Conclusion
This Fenix 8 Pro takes a fantastic adventure watch in the standard Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for texting, call functionality and LiveTrack – plus orbital messaging, check-in and emergency SOS for when you’re out of signal.
The result is an increasingly impressive adventure device for those that desire to be unplugged. If you wish to have someone keep an eye on you from afar while running out at night or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin does so without needing anything else.
This is quite liberating to be outdoors without a phone, but that functionality carries a significant price, both in terms of the colossal price of the watch and the recurring subscription of the inReach service to provide the service. Fortunately it is not reliant on your phone carrier so works with all make of smartphone and carrier.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier device for someone who hates being weighed down by their phone when running, cycling or hiking, but nevertheless desires to be trackable and reachable. For everyone else, it is a lot of money when the excellent Fenix 8 is already available.
Advantages: LTE and satellite communication, super-bright OLED display, monitors everything with best-in-class GPS, integrated flashlight, phone and standalone voice control, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, complete offline mapping and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre diving, physical controls and touchscreen.
Drawbacks: extremely expensive, LTE and orbital features need ongoing subscription, restricted Garmin Pay bank compatibility, voice features are slow, limited smartwatch functionality compared with competing watches.
