This latest version of the flagship Fenix outdoor watch introduces a life-saving feature: phone-free communication and emergency alerts using 4G LTE or satellite links.
This Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the previously impressive Fenix 8 by adding new cellular technology, along with an available state-of-the-art microLED display in a special edition. This is Garmin's top model and designed to be the only tool required to venture virtually any location and monitor every activity.
This makes it an very expensive option, starting at £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 screen – almost twice the price of the standard Fenix 8.
Users receive a lot of features for your investment, with industry-leading fitness, movement and outdoor monitoring. Its full offline mapping of the globe can automatically guide you return to the trail if you get lost absent a phone, and look excellent on the sizable, crisp and super-bright touchscreen.
The Fenix 8 Pro is only offered in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, not the more compact 43mm size found in other devices, so it is a big watch for larger wrists. However the 47mm OLED version 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 charging.
Phone-Free Messaging, Calls and Live Tracking
The company uses its own inReach LTE (4G) and orbital service service rather than depending on a watch plan tied to your mobile provider, as with other wearables. However unlike Apple or Google's satellite-capable devices, SOS messaging is not included for free.
Instead, subscriptions begin from £7.99 or equivalent a month, which includes unlimited LTE SMS and voice messages, call functionality and LiveTrack position sharing – so your contacts or loved ones can monitor you while engaged in jogging, biking or similar pursuits – along with SOS satellite SOS messaging.
Location updates and texts over orbital are then billed on top, with more expensive plans offering various quotas of satellite usage, increasing to a £50 a month all-inclusive subscription. The watch includes a 30-day trial period so you can evaluate the functionality.
Once you have completed setup, you just venture the door without your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You cannot use it for streaming music or comparable tasks, but you are able to place and receive calls, send texts and overall keep in touch with your family and companions.
Whenever you text someone, Garmin sends them an SMS from a arbitrary number, which they can reply to back to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger application, you can then communicate reciprocally using text or voice messages, and initiate voice calls. Your contact is not required to have a Garmin profile to use the Messenger application, only a mobile number is sufficient to register for texts.
Messaging on the watch works fine but composing texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is slow. It includes a collection of customisable pre-set replies you can use to expedite communication. Voice recordings and calls work OK, although as with the majority of wearables, you’re unlikely going to want to use it for lengthy conversations as the quality is not ideal.
LiveTrack is the most useful feature. You can configure to on its own send a URL to chosen contacts every time you begin an exercise, so they can follow your real time location on a map. It’s great for following race progress, but it primarily serves as a tool for someone you trust to be aware of your whereabouts in case something happens. It has generally functioned effectively, though the actual position has occasionally lagged when moving in and out of good LTE signal.
All of these features are available on other Garmin devices if you bring your phone with you, but in areas where LTE does not reach, the orbital activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, position check-ins and emergency SOS.
A on-screen assistance shows you how to find the line of sight to the orbital system, which then sends and receives messages within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was surprisingly easy to use and could be a crucial safety feature, though it is essential to remember that orbital service is restricted to the US continent, most of Canada, and most of Europe except for parts of Scandinavia above 65 degrees latitude.
Environmental Impact
The watch is generally repairable with services offered through the customer service portal. The battery is certified to maintain at least 90% of its original capacity after two years of weekly charging. The watch does not contain any reused components. Garmin offers disposal schemes on recent 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 service packages cost from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Conclusion
This Fenix 8 Pro builds on a excellent outdoor watch in the standard Fenix 8 and adds LTE for messaging, calls and LiveTrack – along with satellite messaging, check-in and SOS SOS for when you’re out of signal.
Outcome is an increasingly impressive adventure device for those that want to be phone-free. If you wish to have someone keep an eye on you from afar while exercising out at night or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin accomplishes this without needing anything else.
This is quite freeing to be outside without a phone, but that functionality comes at a significant price, both in terms of the substantial price of the watch and the recurring fee of the inReach plan to enable the service. At least it isn’t dependent on your phone provider so functions with all make of smartphone and carrier.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a killer gadget for someone who hates being burdened by their phone when jogging, biking or hiking, but nevertheless desires to be trackable and reachable. For everyone else, it is a significant expense when the excellent Fenix 8 already exists.
Advantages: LTE and orbital messaging, super-bright OLED display, tracks all activities with premier GPS, built-in flashlight, voice and standalone commands, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, full offline maps and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre underwater use, physical controls and touch.
Drawbacks: very costly, LTE and satellite functions require ongoing payment, limited Garmin Pay financial support, voice capabilities are slow, limited wearable functionality versus competing watches.
