The most recent iteration of the top-tier Fenix adventure watch includes a life-saving capability: no-phone messaging and SOS alerts via 4G LTE or orbital links.
The Fenix 8 Pro enhances the already impressive Fenix 8 by incorporating cutting-edge cellular tech, plus an optional state-of-the-art microLED display in a limited edition. It is Garmin's premier model and designed to be the single tool needed to explore virtually anywhere and track all your movements.
This positions it as an extremely expensive proposition, starting at £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED version and climbing to a colossal £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm variant with microLED display – almost double the cost of the regular Fenix 8.
Users get a lot of features for your money, with industry-leading workout, movement and adventure monitoring. Its complete offline maps of the world can seamlessly direct you return to the trail if you lose your way absent a phone, and look excellent on the sizable, sharp and super-bright touchscreen.
This Fenix 8 Pro is only offered in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, not the smaller 43mm size found in other models, so it is a large watch for bigger wrists. But the 47mm OLED model as tested does have an additional day of smartwatch battery life even with the display on all the time, enduring a solid eight to nine days between charges.
Phone-Free Messaging, Calling and Live Tracking
Garmin operates its own inReach LTE (4G) and satellite subscription service rather than relying on a watch plan linked to your phone provider, like other smartwatches. But unlike competing satellite-enabled products, SOS messaging is not included for free.
Instead, plans start at £7.99 or equivalent a month, which provides unlimited LTE SMS and audio messaging, calls and LiveTrack position sharing – so your friends or family can keep an eye on you while engaged in running, biking or comparable activities – plus SOS satellite SOS alerts.
Check-ins and texts via orbital are then charged additionally, with more expensive plans offering various allowances of orbital use, increasing to a £50 a month unlimited subscription. The watch comes with a 30-day trial period so you can evaluate the functionality.
After you have completed setup, you just head out outside without your phone and the watch will link to LTE. You cannot use it for streaming music or similar tasks, but you are able to make and take calls, send texts and generally stay connected with your family and companions.
When you message someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a arbitrary phone number, which they can reply to back to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger application, you can then communicate back and forth via typed or spoken communications, and initiate voice calls. Your contact does not need a Garmin profile to use the Messenger application, only a mobile number is sufficient to register for texts.
Texting on the watch functions adequately but typing out texts on the small on-screen keyboard is slow. It includes a set of customisable canned responses you can use to expedite communication. Spoken recordings and calls perform OK, although as with the majority of smartwatches, you’re not going to wish to use it for lengthy discussions as the quality is less than ideal.
LiveTrack is the most useful feature. You can configure to automatically send a URL to chosen contacts whenever you begin an activity, so they can track your real time location on a map. It’s excellent for monitoring competition performance, but it mostly serves as a utility for someone you trust to be aware of your location in case something happens. It has typically worked well, though the real position has sometimes been delayed when moving in and out of good LTE signal.
These capabilities are accessible on other Garmin devices if you carry your phone with you, but in areas where LTE does not reach, the orbital kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, position check-ins and emergency 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 straightforward to use and could be a vital safety feature, however it is essential to remember that orbital service is limited to the US continent, the majority of Canada, and the majority of Europe excluding regions of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees latitude.
Environmental Impact
The watch is typically repairable with services available through the customer service portal. The battery is rated to maintain at least 90% of its initial capacity after two years of weekly charging. The watch does not contain any recycled components. Garmin offers recycling schemes on new purchases.
Price
The Fenix 8 Pro is priced 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 excellent adventure watch in the standard Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for texting, calls and LiveTrack – plus satellite communication, location update and emergency SOS for when you’re without coverage.
The result is an increasingly remarkable adventure tool for those that desire to be unplugged. If you wish to have someone monitor you remotely while running after dark or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin accomplishes this without requiring anything else.
It is very freeing to be outside without a phone, but that functionality carries quite a cost, both in terms of the substantial price of the watch and the recurring fee of the inReach plan to provide the features. At least it isn’t dependent on your phone provider so functions with all 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 running, cycling or hiking, but still desires to be locatable and reachable. For other users, it is a significant expense when the excellent Fenix 8 is already available.
Pros: LTE and orbital communication, high-luminance OLED screen, tracks everything with premier GPS, built-in flashlight, phone and offline voice control, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, full offline maps and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre underwater use, physical controls and touch.
Drawbacks: very expensive, LTE and satellite functions need monthly payment, limited Garmin Pay financial support, speech capabilities are sluggish, limited wearable functionality compared with competing watches.
