This most recent iteration of the premium Fenix outdoor timepiece includes a life-saving capability: no-phone messaging and SOS messaging using 4G LTE or orbital connections.
This Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the previously outstanding Fenix 8 by incorporating cutting-edge cellular tech, along with an optional advanced microLED display in a limited edition. This is Garmin's top device and designed to be the only tool required to venture virtually any location and track every activity.
This makes it an extremely pricey option, 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 price of the regular Fenix 8.
You do get a lot of functionality for your investment, with industry-leading fitness, activity and adventure monitoring. The full offline maps of the world can seamlessly direct you return to the trail if you get lost without a phone, and appear excellent on the large, sharp and high-luminance display.
This Fenix 8 Pro is only offered in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, omitting the smaller 43mm size available in other models, so it is a big watch for bigger wrists. But the 47mm OLED model as tested does have an additional day of smartwatch battery life even with the screen always active, lasting a reliable eight to nine days between charges.
Phone-Free Texting, Calls and Real-Time Location
The company operates its own inReach LTE (4G) and orbital service plan instead of relying on a watch plan linked to your phone provider, like other smartwatches. But unlike competing satellite-enabled devices, SOS messaging is not provided for free.
Instead, subscriptions start at £7.99 or similar a month, which provides unlimited LTE text and audio messages, call functionality and LiveTrack position sharing – so your friends or loved ones can monitor you while engaged in jogging, biking or similar pursuits – plus SOS satellite SOS alerts.
Location updates and texts via orbital are then charged additionally, with more expensive plans offering various 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 service.
Once 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 similar tasks, but you are able to make and take calls, send texts and overall stay connected with your relatives and friends.
When you text someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a arbitrary phone number, which they can reply to directly to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger app, you can then communicate reciprocally using text or spoken messages, and make voice calls. Your recipient does not need a Garmin account to use the Messenger app, just a mobile number is enough to register for texts.
Texting on the watch functions adequately but composing texts on the small on-screen keyboard is slow. It has a set of personalizable pre-set replies you can use to speed things up. Spoken recordings and calls perform OK, although as with most wearables, you’re unlikely going to want to use it for extended conversations as the audio clarity is less than fantastic.
LiveTrack is the most useful feature. You can set it up to automatically transmit a link to selected contacts every time you start an activity, so they can track your real time position on a map. It’s great for monitoring competition progress, but it mostly serves as a tool for someone you trust to know your whereabouts in case an incident occurs. It has generally worked effectively, though the real position has occasionally lagged when transitioning in and out of strong LTE signal.
These features are accessible on other Garmin devices if you carry your phone with you, but in locations where LTE does not reach, the satellite kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, location updates and SOS SOS.
A guide displays you how to find the line of sight to the orbital system, which then transmits and gets messages within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was surprisingly easy to use and could be a vital lifeline, though it is important to note that satellite service is restricted to the US mainland, most of Canada, and most of Europe except for regions of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees latitude.
Sustainability
The watch is generally repairable with options available through the customer service portal. 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 provides recycling schemes on new purchases.
Price
This Fenix 8 Pro costs from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The additional Garmin inReach service packages cost from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Verdict
This Fenix 8 Pro builds on a fantastic outdoor watch in the standard Fenix 8 and adds LTE for messaging, call functionality and LiveTrack – plus satellite messaging, location update and emergency SOS for when you’re without signal.
Outcome is an even more impressive outdoor tool for those that want to be phone-free. If you want to have someone monitor you remotely while running after dark or in the remote areas, the Garmin does so without needing anything else.
It is quite liberating to be outside without a phone, but that capability carries a significant cost, both in terms of the colossal cost of the watch and the monthly subscription of the inReach service to enable the features. Fortunately it is not dependent on your phone provider so works with all make of smartphone and carrier.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a killer gadget for someone who hates being weighed down by their phone when jogging, cycling or hiking, but still desires to be locatable and reachable. For everyone else, it is a lot of expense when the superb Fenix 8 is already available.
Advantages: LTE and orbital communication, high-luminance OLED display, monitors everything with premier GPS, built-in torch, voice and standalone voice control, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, complete offline maps and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre underwater use, physical controls and touchscreen.
Drawbacks: very expensive, LTE and satellite features require ongoing payment, limited Garmin Pay bank compatibility, voice capabilities are slow, limited wearable features compared with competing watches.
