The most recent iteration of the top-tier Fenix outdoor watch includes a potentially lifesaving feature: no-phone messaging and emergency messaging using 4G LTE or satellite links.
This Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the previously outstanding Fenix 8 by incorporating cutting-edge cellular technology, plus an available state-of-the-art microLED display in a special edition. This is Garmin's premier device and designed to be the only tool needed to venture almost any location and monitor every activity.
That makes it an extremely expensive 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 display – almost twice the price of the standard Fenix 8.
Users get a significant features for your investment, with best-in-class workout, activity and adventure tracking. Its complete offline maps of the globe can seamlessly direct you back to the trail if you get lost without a phone, and look great on the sizable, sharp and super-bright touchscreen.
The Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively offered in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, not the more compact 43mm version found in other devices, so it is a large watch for larger wrists. But the 47mm OLED version as reviewed boasts an extra day of watch battery life even with the screen on all the time, enduring a solid eight to nine days between charges.
No-Phone Messaging, Calls and Real-Time Location
Garmin uses its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and orbital service plan instead of depending on a watch plan tied to your mobile provider, like other smartwatches. But in contrast to Apple or Google's satellite-enabled products, emergency messaging is not provided for free.
Instead, plans begin from £7.99 or similar a month, which includes limitless LTE text and voice messages, calls and LiveTrack location sharing – so your contacts or loved ones can keep an eye on you while engaged in jogging, biking or similar activities – plus SOS satellite SOS alerts.
Check-ins and messages via satellite are then charged additionally, with higher-tier subscriptions offering different quotas of satellite usage, climbing to a £50 a month unlimited plan. The watch includes a 30-day trial period so you can test out the functionality.
Once you have got it set up, you just head out the door without your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You can not use it for playing music or similar tasks, but you are able to place and receive calls, dispatch texts and generally stay connected with your family and companions.
When you text someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a random phone number, which they can reply to back to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger application, you can then communicate reciprocally via typed or spoken messages, and initiate voice calls. Your contact does not need a Garmin profile to use the Messenger application, just a mobile number is enough to sign up for texts.
Messaging on the watch works adequately but typing out texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It includes a set of customisable canned replies you can use to expedite communication. Spoken messages and calls perform OK, although as with the majority of smartwatches, you’re unlikely going to wish to use it for extended discussions as the quality is less than fantastic.
LiveTrack is the most useful function. You can configure to automatically transmit a link to chosen contacts every time you start an exercise, so they can track your live location on a map. It’s excellent for following competition progress, but it mostly serves as a tool for someone you rely on to be aware of your whereabouts in case something happens. It has generally worked well, although the actual position has occasionally lagged when transitioning in and out of strong LTE coverage.
All of these capabilities are accessible on other Garmin watches if you carry your phone with you, but in locations where LTE lacks coverage, the orbital activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, position updates and SOS SOS.
A on-screen assistance displays you how to find the clear view to the orbital system, which then transmits and gets messages within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was unexpectedly easy to use and could be a crucial lifeline, however it is important to remember that satellite coverage is restricted to the US continent, most of Canada, and the majority of Europe except for regions of Scandinavia above 65 degrees north.
Sustainability
The watch is generally repairable with options offered via the customer service portal. The battery is rated to retain at least 90% of its initial capacity after two years of regular charging. The watch does not contain any recycled materials. Garmin offers disposal 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 subscription plans begin from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Conclusion
The Fenix 8 Pro takes a excellent adventure watch in the regular Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for messaging, call functionality and LiveTrack – along with satellite messaging, check-in and emergency SOS for when you’re out of coverage.
The result is an increasingly remarkable adventure tool for those that want to be phone-free. If you want to have someone keep an eye on you from afar while exercising out at night or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin does so without needing anything else.
It is quite liberating to be outside without a phone, but that functionality carries quite a price, both in terms of the colossal price of the watch and the recurring subscription of the inReach plan to provide the service. Fortunately it is not dependent on your phone provider so works with any brand of smartphone and network.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a killer device for someone who dislikes 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 lot of money when the excellent Fenix 8 is already available.
Advantages: LTE and orbital messaging, super-bright OLED screen, monitors all activities with premier GPS, built-in torch, phone and offline voice control, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, full offline mapping and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre underwater use, buttons and touch.
Drawbacks: extremely costly, LTE and orbital functions require ongoing subscription, limited Garmin Pay bank compatibility, voice features are sluggish, basic smartwatch functionality compared with competing watches.
