The latest version of Garmin's flagship Fenix outdoor timepiece introduces a life-saving capability: phone-free communication and emergency alerts using 4G LTE or satellite connections.
This Fenix 8 Pro enhances the previously outstanding Fenix 8 by adding new cellular tech, plus an available advanced microLED display in a special edition. It is the brand's premier model and engineered to be the only tool required to explore almost anywhere and monitor all your movements.
That makes it an very pricey 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 edition with microLED screen – nearly double the price of the standard Fenix 8.
You do get a lot of functionality for your investment, with best-in-class workout, activity and adventure monitoring. The full offline mapping of the world can automatically guide you return to the path if you get lost without a phone, and appear excellent on the large, crisp and high-luminance touchscreen.
This Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively available in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, omitting the more compact 43mm size found in other models, so it is a big watch for larger wrists. But the 47mm OLED model as reviewed does have an extra day of watch battery life even with the display on all the time, enduring a reliable eight to nine days between charging.
Phone-Free Messaging, Calls and Real-Time Location
Garmin operates its own inReach LTE (4G) and satellite service service instead of depending on a watch plan tied to your phone carrier, like other wearables. But unlike competing satellite-capable devices, emergency messaging is not included for free.
Instead, plans begin from £7.99 or similar a month, which provides limitless LTE SMS and voice messaging, calls and LiveTrack position sharing – so your friends or loved ones can monitor you while out running, biking or similar pursuits – along with SOS satellite SOS alerts.
Check-ins and texts via satellite are then charged on top, with higher-tier plans including various quotas of orbital usage, increasing to a £50 a month all-inclusive plan. The watch includes a 30-day trial period so you can evaluate the service.
Once you have got it set up, you just venture outside minus your phone and the watch will link to LTE. You cannot use it for playing music or similar tasks, but you are able to make and take calls, dispatch texts and overall keep in touch with your relatives and companions.
When you text someone, Garmin sends them an SMS from a arbitrary number, which they can respond to directly to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger application, you can then message back and forth via text or spoken messages, and make voice calls. Your recipient is not required to have a Garmin account to use the Messenger application, only a mobile number is sufficient to register for texts.
Messaging on the watch works adequately but composing texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It has a set of customisable canned replies you can use to speed things up. Voice recordings and calls perform OK, though as with most smartwatches, you’re not going to want to use it for extended discussions as the audio clarity is less than fantastic.
LiveTrack is the most useful function. You can set it up to on its own transmit a link to selected contacts every time you begin an exercise, so they can follow your real time location on a map. It’s great for monitoring race performance, but it mostly serves as a utility for someone you rely on to know your location in case an incident occurs. It has typically functioned effectively, though the real location has occasionally lagged when transitioning in and out of good LTE coverage.
These features are available on other Garmin watches 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 updates and emergency SOS.
A on-screen assistance displays you how to locate the line of sight to the satellite, 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 orbital coverage is limited to the US continent, most of Canada, and most of Europe excluding regions of Scandinavia above 65 degrees latitude.
Sustainability
The watch is typically serviceable with options available via the customer service site. The battery is certified to retain at least 90% of its initial power after two years of weekly charging. The watch lacks any reused materials. Garmin offers recycling programs on new purchases.
Cost
The Fenix 8 Pro costs from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The optional Garmin inReach service plans begin from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Conclusion
This Fenix 8 Pro builds on a fantastic outdoor watch in the regular Fenix 8 and adds LTE for texting, call functionality and LiveTrack – along with orbital messaging, check-in and emergency SOS for when you’re without coverage.
The result is an increasingly remarkable outdoor device for those that desire to be unplugged. If you want to have someone monitor you from afar while running after dark or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin does so without requiring additional gear.
This is very liberating to be outside without a phone, but that capability comes at quite a price, both in terms of the colossal price of the watch and the recurring fee of the inReach service to provide the service. Fortunately it is not reliant on your phone carrier so functions 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 jogging, cycling or hiking, but nevertheless wants to be locatable and reachable. For everyone else, it is a significant money when the superb Fenix 8 is already available.
Advantages: LTE and orbital communication, super-bright OLED screen, monitors everything with best-in-class GPS, built-in torch, voice and standalone voice control, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, full offline mapping and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre underwater use, physical controls and touchscreen.
Drawbacks: very expensive, LTE and orbital functions require ongoing payment, limited Garmin Pay bank support, speech capabilities are slow, limited smartwatch features versus Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
