This newest version of Garmin's top-tier Fenix adventure watch brings a life-saving capability: phone-free messaging and emergency messaging via 4G LTE or satellite links.
The Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the already impressive Fenix 8 by incorporating new cellular technology, along with an available state-of-the-art microLED screen in a limited edition. It is Garmin's top device and engineered to be the only tool required to explore almost anywhere and track every activity.
That positions it as an extremely expensive proposition, starting at £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED version and climbing to a substantial £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm variant with microLED display – almost twice the price of the regular Fenix 8.
Users get a lot of features for your money, with industry-leading fitness, movement and adventure tracking. Its full offline maps of the globe can seamlessly direct you back to the trail if you get lost absent a phone, and appear great on the large, sharp and super-bright touchscreen.
This Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively available in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, not the smaller 43mm size available in other models, so it is a big watch for bigger wrists. But the 47mm OLED model as reviewed boasts an extra day of watch battery life even with the display always active, enduring a solid eight to nine days between charging.
No-Phone Messaging, Calls and Live Tracking
Garmin uses its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and satellite subscription service rather than depending on a watch plan linked to your mobile provider, as with other smartwatches. But in contrast to competing satellite-capable devices, SOS messaging is not provided for free.
Rather, plans start at £7.99 or equivalent a month, which includes unlimited LTE text and audio messages, call functionality and LiveTrack position tracking – so your contacts or family can keep an eye on you while out jogging, biking or similar activities – plus SOS orbital SOS alerts.
Check-ins and messages via satellite are then billed additionally, with higher-tier plans including various quotas of satellite use, increasing to a £50 a month all-inclusive subscription. The watch comes with a 30-day free trial so you can evaluate the functionality.
After you have completed setup, you simply venture the door without your phone and the watch will link to LTE. You cannot use it for playing music or similar tasks, but you are able to place and receive calls, dispatch texts and overall keep in touch with your family and friends.
When you text someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a arbitrary phone number, which they can respond to directly to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger app, you can then communicate reciprocally via text or spoken messages, and make voice calls. Your contact is not required to have a Garmin account to use the Messenger application, only a mobile number is enough to sign up for texts.
Texting on the watch functions adequately but typing out texts on the small on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It has a set of customisable pre-set replies you can use to speed things up. Spoken recordings and calls work OK, although as with the majority of smartwatches, you’re not going to wish to use it for lengthy discussions as the audio clarity is less than ideal.
LiveTrack is the most useful feature. You can configure to automatically send a link to selected contacts every time you begin an exercise, so they can track your live location on a map. It’s excellent for monitoring race performance, but it primarily serves as a utility for someone you trust to know your whereabouts in case an incident occurs. It has generally functioned well, although the real location has occasionally been delayed when transitioning in and out of good LTE signal.
All of these capabilities are accessible on other Garmin devices if you carry your phone with you, but in locations where LTE does not reach, the satellite 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 easy to use and could be a vital safety feature, though it is important to note that orbital coverage is limited to the US mainland, most of Canada, and the majority of Europe except for parts of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees north.
Environmental Impact
The watch is generally repairable with options offered via the customer service site. The battery is rated to retain at least 90% of its original capacity after two years of weekly charging. The watch does not contain any recycled materials. Garmin offers recycling schemes on new purchases.
Cost
This Fenix 8 Pro costs from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The additional Garmin inReach subscription packages begin from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Verdict
The Fenix 8 Pro builds on a fantastic outdoor watch in the regular Fenix 8 and adds LTE for texting, calls and LiveTrack – plus satellite communication, check-in and SOS SOS for when you’re out of coverage.
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 from afar while exercising after dark or in the remote areas, the Garmin does so without requiring anything else.
It is quite liberating to be outdoors without a phone, but that functionality carries a significant price, both in terms of the substantial price of the watch and the monthly subscription of the inReach service to provide the service. At least it isn’t dependent on your phone provider so functions with any brand of smartphone and network.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier device for someone who dislikes being weighed down by their phone when jogging, biking or trekking, but still wants to be locatable and reachable. For everyone else, it is a significant expense when the superb Fenix 8 already exists.
Pros: LTE and orbital communication, high-luminance OLED display, tracks everything with best-in-class GPS, built-in flashlight, phone and offline voice control, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, full offline mapping and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre underwater use, buttons and touchscreen.
Cons: very costly, LTE and satellite functions need ongoing payment, limited Garmin Pay bank support, voice features are slow, limited smartwatch features compared with competing watches.
