This most recent model of Garmin's top-tier Fenix adventure watch brings a potentially lifesaving capability: no-phone communication and emergency alerts via 4G LTE or orbital connections.
The Fenix 8 Pro enhances the already outstanding Fenix 8 by incorporating new cellular technology, along with an available state-of-the-art microLED screen in a special edition. It is the brand's premier model and engineered to be the only tool needed to explore almost any location and track every activity.
This makes it an very 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 display – almost double the price of the standard Fenix 8.
You do get a significant features for your investment, with best-in-class workout, activity and adventure tracking. Its full offline maps of the globe can seamlessly direct you back to the trail if you lose your way absent a phone, and look excellent on the sizable, crisp and high-luminance touchscreen.
This Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively offered in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, omitting the smaller 43mm size available in other models, so it is a big watch for bigger wrists. However the 47mm OLED version as reviewed boasts an extra day of watch battery life despite the screen on all the time, enduring a reliable eight to nine days between charges.
Phone-Free Texting, Calls and Live Tracking
Garmin operates its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and satellite subscription plan rather than depending on a watch plan linked to your mobile provider, like other wearables. However unlike Apple or Google's satellite-enabled products, emergency messaging is not provided for free.
Rather, plans begin from £7.99 or similar a month, which provides unlimited LTE text and audio messaging, calls and LiveTrack location sharing – so your contacts or loved ones can keep an eye on you while out running, cycling or similar activities – plus emergency satellite SOS alerts.
Check-ins and messages via orbital are then charged on top, with higher-tier plans offering various quotas of orbital usage, climbing to a £50 a month unlimited subscription. The watch comes with a 30-day free trial so you can evaluate the functionality.
After you have got it set up, you simply venture the door minus your phone and the watch will link to LTE. You cannot use it for streaming music or comparable tasks, but you can make and take calls, send texts and overall keep in touch with your family and friends.
Whenever you text someone, Garmin sends 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 using typed or spoken messages, and make voice calls. Your contact does not need a Garmin profile to use the Messenger application, just a phone number is sufficient to register for texts.
Texting on the watch works fine but typing out texts on the small on-screen keyboard is slow. It has a set of personalizable canned replies you can use to expedite communication. Spoken messages and calls perform OK, though as with most smartwatches, you’re unlikely going to want to use it for extended conversations as the audio clarity is less than fantastic.
LiveTrack is the handiest function. You can configure to automatically transmit a link to chosen contacts every time you begin an exercise, so they can track your live location on a map. It’s excellent for following race progress, but it primarily acts as a tool for someone you trust to be aware of your whereabouts in case something happens. It has generally functioned well, though the real position has occasionally lagged when transitioning in and out of good LTE coverage.
All of these features are accessible on other Garmin devices if you bring your phone with you, but in areas where LTE does not reach, the orbital activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, position check-ins and SOS SOS.
A on-screen assistance 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 surprisingly easy to use and could be a crucial lifeline, however it is important to remember that satellite 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 typically repairable with options offered via the customer service site. The battery is rated to maintain at least 90% of its initial power after two years of regular charging. The watch lacks any reused materials. Garmin offers recycling schemes on new purchases.
Cost
The Fenix 8 Pro is priced from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The additional Garmin inReach service packages cost from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Verdict
The Fenix 8 Pro builds on a excellent outdoor watch in the standard Fenix 8 and adds LTE for texting, calls and LiveTrack – along with orbital communication, location update and emergency SOS for when you’re without signal.
The result is an increasingly impressive adventure device for those that want to be phone-free. If you wish to have someone monitor you remotely while exercising after dark or in the remote areas, the Garmin accomplishes this without requiring additional gear.
It is very liberating to be outdoors without a phone, but that functionality comes at a significant 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 is not reliant on your phone carrier so works with all make of smartphone and carrier.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a killer device for someone who hates being burdened by their phone when running, cycling or trekking, but still wants to be trackable and reachable. For other users, it is a lot of money when the superb Fenix 8 is already available.
Pros: LTE and orbital communication, high-luminance OLED display, tracks everything with premier GPS, built-in torch, phone and offline voice control, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, complete offline mapping and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre underwater use, buttons and touch.
Cons: extremely costly, LTE and orbital features need ongoing payment, limited Garmin Pay financial support, speech capabilities are sluggish, basic wearable features compared with competing watches.
