The latest iteration of the top-tier Fenix adventure watch introduces a life-saving capability: phone-free messaging and SOS alerts via 4G LTE or satellite connections.
This Fenix 8 Pro enhances the already impressive Fenix 8 by adding cutting-edge cellular technology, plus an available advanced microLED screen in a limited edition. It is Garmin's top model and engineered to be the single gadget required to venture virtually any location and track every activity.
That makes it an extremely pricey proposition, priced from £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED version and reaching a substantial £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm variant with microLED display – nearly twice the cost of the standard Fenix 8.
You do get a significant functionality for your money, with industry-leading workout, movement and outdoor monitoring. The full offline mapping of the world can seamlessly direct you return to the path if you get lost absent a phone, and look excellent on the large, crisp and high-luminance display.
This Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively available in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, not the more compact 43mm version available in other devices, so it is a large watch for bigger wrists. However the 47mm OLED version as reviewed boasts an additional day of smartwatch battery life even with the display on all the time, lasting a reliable eight to nine days between charging.
No-Phone Messaging, Calls and Live Tracking
Garmin uses its own inReach LTE (4G) and orbital subscription service rather than relying on a watch plan tied to your mobile provider, as with other wearables. But unlike Apple or Google's satellite-enabled devices, emergency messaging is not provided for free.
Instead, subscriptions start at £7.99 or equivalent a month, which includes limitless LTE SMS and audio messaging, calls and LiveTrack location tracking – so your friends or family can monitor you while out running, biking or comparable pursuits – along with emergency orbital SOS messaging.
Location updates and texts via satellite are then charged on top, with more expensive subscriptions offering different allowances of orbital usage, increasing to a £50 a month unlimited plan. The watch comes with a 30-day trial period so you can evaluate the functionality.
After you have completed setup, you just venture outside without your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You can not use it for streaming music or comparable tasks, but you are able to make and take calls, dispatch texts and generally stay connected with your family and friends.
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 message back and forth using typed or voice communications, and initiate voice calls. Your recipient is not required to have a Garmin account to use the Messenger app, just a phone number is enough to sign up for texts.
Texting on the watch functions fine but typing out texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is slow. It has a set of customisable pre-set responses you can use to expedite communication. Spoken messages and calls work acceptably, though as with the majority of wearables, you’re not going to wish to use it for extended discussions as the quality is not ideal.
LiveTrack is the handiest feature. You can configure to automatically send a URL to chosen contacts whenever you begin an activity, so they can track your live location on a map. It’s great for following race progress, but it primarily acts as a tool for someone you rely on to know your location in case something happens. It has generally functioned well, although the actual location has occasionally been delayed when transitioning in and out of good LTE signal.
All of these features are accessible on other Garmin watches if you bring your phone with you, but in locations where LTE does not reach, the orbital activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, position updates and emergency SOS.
A guide displays you how to locate the clear view to the satellite, which then sends and receives messages within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was unexpectedly straightforward to use and could be a vital lifeline, though it is important to note that orbital coverage is limited to the US continent, most of Canada, and most of Europe except for regions of Scandinavia above 65 degrees latitude.
Environmental Impact
The watch is typically repairable with options offered via the support site. The battery is rated to retain at least 90% of its original power after two years of weekly charging. The watch lacks any reused materials. Garmin provides recycling schemes on new purchases.
Price
The Fenix 8 Pro costs from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The additional Garmin inReach subscription plans cost from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Conclusion
This Fenix 8 Pro builds on a fantastic outdoor watch in the standard Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for messaging, call functionality and LiveTrack – plus orbital messaging, location update and emergency SOS for when you’re without signal.
The result is an increasingly impressive adventure tool for those that desire to be unplugged. If you wish to have someone keep an eye on you remotely while exercising after dark or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin accomplishes this without needing anything else.
It is very freeing to be outside without a phone, but that functionality comes at quite a cost, both in terms of the substantial cost of the watch and the recurring subscription of the inReach plan to provide the service. Fortunately it isn’t dependent on your phone provider so works with any make of smartphone and network.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a killer device for someone who dislikes being weighed down by their phone when running, biking or hiking, but still desires to be locatable and contactable. For other users, it is a lot of money when the excellent Fenix 8 is already available.
Pros: LTE and orbital messaging, high-luminance OLED screen, monitors everything with best-in-class GPS, integrated torch, phone and standalone voice control, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, full offline maps and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre diving, physical controls and touchscreen.
Cons: very expensive, LTE and orbital functions need ongoing subscription, limited Garmin Pay bank compatibility, speech capabilities are slow, limited wearable features compared with Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
