This newest version of Garmin's premium Fenix adventure watch introduces a potentially lifesaving capability: no-phone communication and SOS alerts using 4G LTE or orbital links.
The Fenix 8 Pro builds upon the previously impressive Fenix 8 by adding new mobile tech, plus an optional advanced microLED screen in a special edition. This is Garmin's premier device and designed to be the only gadget required to explore virtually anywhere and track every activity.
This positions it as an very expensive proposition, priced from £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED model and climbing to a colossal £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm edition with microLED display – almost twice the cost of the standard Fenix 8.
Users receive a lot of functionality for your investment, with best-in-class fitness, activity and outdoor monitoring. The full offline maps of the globe can automatically direct you return to the trail if you get lost absent a phone, and appear excellent on the sizable, crisp and high-luminance touchscreen.
The Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively offered in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, omitting the smaller 43mm version found in other devices, so it is a big watch for larger wrists. But the 47mm OLED model as reviewed boasts an extra day of smartwatch battery life even with the display on all the time, enduring a reliable eight to nine days between charges.
Phone-Free Texting, Calling and Real-Time Location
The company operates its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and satellite service plan instead of relying on a watch plan tied to your phone carrier, like other wearables. However unlike competing satellite-enabled devices, SOS communication is not provided for free.
Instead, plans begin from £7.99 or similar a month, which provides unlimited LTE SMS and voice messaging, calls and LiveTrack location sharing – so your contacts or loved ones can monitor you while out jogging, cycling or comparable activities – plus emergency orbital SOS alerts.
Location updates and texts via satellite are then charged additionally, with more expensive plans offering different allowances of orbital use, climbing to a £50 a month unlimited plan. The watch includes a 30-day trial period so you can test out the functionality.
After you have got it set up, you just head out outside without your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You cannot use it for streaming music or comparable tasks, but you are able to place and receive calls, dispatch texts and generally keep in touch with your relatives and companions.
Whenever you text someone, Garmin dispatches 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 communicate back and forth using text or spoken communications, and make voice calls. Your recipient is not required to have a Garmin account to use the Messenger app, only a mobile number is sufficient to sign up for texts.
Messaging on the watch functions fine but composing texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It includes a collection of customisable canned responses you can send to expedite communication. Spoken messages and calls work OK, although as with most smartwatches, you’re not going to want to use it for lengthy discussions as the audio clarity is not ideal.
LiveTrack is the most useful feature. You can configure to automatically send a link to selected contacts whenever you start an activity, so they can follow your real time location on a map. It’s excellent for monitoring competition performance, but it mostly acts as a tool for someone you rely on to be aware of your location in case something happens. It has generally worked well, although the real position has sometimes been delayed when moving in and out of good LTE signal.
These features are accessible on other Garmin watches if you carry 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 emergency SOS.
A guide shows you how to locate the clear view to the orbital system, which then transmits and gets communications within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was unexpectedly easy to use and could be a vital lifeline, though it is essential to note that satellite coverage is limited to the US mainland, the majority of Canada, and most of Europe except for parts of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees north.
Environmental Impact
The watch is typically serviceable with options offered via the support portal. The battery is certified to maintain at least 90% of its initial power after two years of regular charging. The watch does not contain any reused materials. Garmin offers recycling programs 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).
Verdict
This Fenix 8 Pro builds on a excellent outdoor watch in the standard Fenix 8 and adds LTE for messaging, calls and LiveTrack – plus orbital messaging, location update and emergency SOS for when you’re out of coverage.
The result is an increasingly impressive adventure tool for those that desire to be phone-free. If you wish to have someone keep an eye on you remotely while running out at night or in the remote areas, the Garmin accomplishes this without needing anything else.
This is quite freeing to be outside without a phone, but that capability comes at a significant price, both in terms of the colossal price of the watch and the monthly subscription of the inReach plan to provide the features. At least it is not dependent on your phone carrier so functions with any brand of smartphone and carrier.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier gadget for someone who dislikes being weighed down by their phone when running, biking or trekking, but still desires to be trackable and contactable. For everyone else, it is a lot of money when the superb Fenix 8 is already available.
Pros: LTE and satellite communication, high-luminance OLED screen, monitors everything with best-in-class GPS, integrated flashlight, voice and offline voice control, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, complete offline maps and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre underwater use, buttons and touchscreen.
Cons: very costly, LTE and orbital features require monthly payment, limited Garmin Pay financial compatibility, speech features are slow, basic smartwatch features compared with Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
