The newest version of Garmin's flagship Fenix outdoor watch includes a potentially lifesaving feature: no-phone messaging and emergency alerts via 4G LTE or orbital connections.
The Fenix 8 Pro enhances the previously outstanding Fenix 8 by adding cutting-edge mobile tech, plus an optional state-of-the-art microLED display in a special edition. It is Garmin's top model and engineered to be the single tool required to venture virtually any location and track all your movements.
This makes it an extremely expensive option, priced from £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED model and reaching a substantial £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm edition with microLED display – nearly double the cost of the regular Fenix 8.
You do get a lot of functionality for your investment, with best-in-class workout, movement and outdoor tracking. The 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, sharp and super-bright touchscreen.
The Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively available in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, not the smaller 43mm size found in other devices, so it is a large watch for larger wrists. However the 47mm OLED model as tested does have an extra day of smartwatch battery life even with the screen on all the time, lasting a reliable eight to nine days between charges.
Phone-Free Texting, Calling and Live Tracking
Garmin uses its own inReach LTE (4G) and satellite subscription service instead of depending on a watch plan tied to your phone provider, like other wearables. However unlike competing satellite-enabled products, emergency messaging is not included for free.
Rather, subscriptions start at £7.99 or similar a month, which includes unlimited LTE SMS and audio messaging, calls and LiveTrack location tracking – so your contacts or family can keep an eye on you while engaged in running, biking or comparable pursuits – along with emergency satellite SOS alerts.
Check-ins and texts via orbital are then charged additionally, with higher-tier subscriptions offering various allowances of satellite usage, climbing to a £50 a month all-inclusive plan. The watch comes with a 30-day trial period so you can test out the functionality.
Once you have got it set up, you just head out outside without your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You can not use it for streaming music or similar tasks, but you are able to make and take calls, dispatch texts and overall keep in touch with your family and companions.
When you text someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a random number, which they can respond to back to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger app, you can then communicate back and forth via typed or spoken messages, and initiate voice calls. Your recipient does not need a Garmin account to use the Messenger app, only a phone number is sufficient to register for texts.
Messaging on the watch works fine but composing texts on the small on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It includes a set of customisable canned replies you can use to speed things up. Spoken recordings and calls work acceptably, although as with the majority of wearables, you’re not going to want to use it for extended conversations as the quality is not fantastic.
LiveTrack is the most useful function. You can configure to automatically transmit a link to chosen contacts every time you begin an activity, so they can follow your real time location on a map. It’s excellent for following competition performance, but it primarily serves as a tool for someone you rely on to be aware of your location in case something happens. It has typically worked effectively, though the actual location has occasionally lagged when moving in and out of good LTE signal.
All of these capabilities are accessible on other Garmin devices if you bring your phone with you, but in areas where LTE lacks coverage, the satellite activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, location check-ins and emergency SOS.
A guide displays you how to locate the clear view to the satellite, which then transmits and gets communications within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was unexpectedly easy to use and could be a crucial lifeline, though it is essential to remember that orbital coverage is restricted to the US continent, the majority of Canada, and most of Europe except for parts of Scandinavia above 65 degrees latitude.
Sustainability
The watch is generally serviceable with services available via the support site. The battery is certified to retain at least 90% of its initial power after two years of regular charging. The watch lacks any recycled materials. Garmin offers disposal programs on new purchases.
Cost
This Fenix 8 Pro is priced from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The additional Garmin inReach subscription plans begin from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Verdict
The Fenix 8 Pro takes a fantastic outdoor watch in the standard Fenix 8 and adds LTE for texting, calls and LiveTrack – along with satellite messaging, check-in and SOS SOS for when you’re out of coverage.
The result is an even more impressive outdoor device for those that want to be phone-free. If you want to have someone keep an eye on you from afar while exercising after dark or in the remote areas, the Garmin does so without needing anything else.
This is quite liberating to be outside without a phone, but that capability comes at quite a price, both in terms of the colossal cost of the watch and the recurring fee of the inReach plan to enable the service. At least it isn’t reliant on your phone carrier so works with all make of smartphone and carrier.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a killer device for someone who hates being burdened by their phone when jogging, cycling or hiking, but still desires to be locatable and contactable. For other users, it is a significant expense when the superb Fenix 8 is already available.
Pros: LTE and satellite messaging, high-luminance OLED display, tracks all activities with premier GPS, built-in torch, voice and standalone commands, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, full offline maps and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre underwater use, physical controls and touch.
Drawbacks: extremely expensive, LTE and orbital functions require monthly payment, restricted Garmin Pay bank support, voice features are slow, basic smartwatch functionality compared with Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
