This newest model of the top-tier Fenix outdoor timepiece introduces a potentially lifesaving feature: phone-free communication and SOS alerts using 4G LTE or orbital connections.
This Fenix 8 Pro enhances the already outstanding Fenix 8 by incorporating new cellular technology, plus an optional state-of-the-art microLED display in a special edition. This is Garmin's premier model and designed to be the single tool needed to venture almost any location and monitor all your movements.
That positions it as an extremely expensive option, starting at £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED model and climbing to a substantial £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm edition with microLED screen – nearly twice the cost of the regular Fenix 8.
Users get a significant features for your investment, with best-in-class fitness, movement and outdoor tracking. The complete offline maps of the globe can automatically guide you back to the trail if you lose your way without a phone, and look great on the sizable, sharp and high-luminance touchscreen.
This Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively available in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, not the smaller 43mm version found in other devices, so it is a big watch for larger wrists. But the 47mm OLED version as reviewed does have an additional day of smartwatch battery life even with the screen always active, enduring a reliable eight to nine days between charges.
Phone-Free Texting, Calls and Real-Time Location
Garmin uses its own inReach LTE (4G) and orbital service plan instead of depending on a watch plan tied to your mobile carrier, as with other wearables. But unlike competing satellite-capable devices, SOS messaging is not provided for free.
Instead, plans begin from £7.99 or similar a month, which provides unlimited LTE text and voice messaging, call functionality and LiveTrack location tracking – so your friends or loved ones can monitor you while out running, biking or similar pursuits – plus emergency orbital SOS alerts.
Check-ins and texts over satellite are then charged on top, with more expensive plans offering different quotas of satellite use, increasing to a £50 a month unlimited plan. The watch includes a 30-day trial period so you can evaluate the functionality.
Once you have completed setup, you just venture outside without your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You can not use it for playing music or similar activities, but you are able to make and take calls, send texts and overall keep in touch with your relatives 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 message back and forth using text or spoken communications, and make voice calls. Your contact is not required to have a Garmin account to use the Messenger app, only a phone number is enough to sign up for texts.
Texting on the watch functions adequately but composing texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is slow. It includes a collection of personalizable canned replies you can send to expedite communication. Voice messages and calls perform OK, though as with the majority of smartwatches, you’re not going to wish to use it for lengthy discussions as the quality is not fantastic.
LiveTrack is the handiest function. You can set it up to automatically send a URL to chosen contacts every time you begin an activity, so they can follow your live position on a map. It’s excellent for monitoring race progress, but it primarily acts as a tool for someone you rely on to know your location in case an incident occurs. It has typically functioned well, though the actual position has sometimes been delayed when moving in and out of strong LTE coverage.
All of these features are available on other Garmin watches if you bring your phone with you, but in locations where LTE does not reach, the orbital kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, location check-ins and emergency SOS.
A guide displays you how to locate the line of sight to the orbital system, which then transmits and gets communications within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was unexpectedly easy to use and could be a vital lifeline, though it is essential to remember that satellite service is limited to the US continent, the majority of Canada, and the majority of Europe except for parts of Scandinavia above 65 degrees north.
Environmental Impact
The watch is typically repairable with services available via the customer service site. The battery is rated to retain at least 90% of its initial capacity after two years of regular charging. The watch does not contain any reused components. Garmin provides 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 optional Garmin inReach subscription plans cost from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Conclusion
The Fenix 8 Pro builds on a fantastic outdoor watch in the standard Fenix 8 and adds LTE for messaging, calls and LiveTrack – plus orbital messaging, check-in and SOS SOS for when you’re out of signal.
The result is an even more remarkable outdoor device for those that desire to be unplugged. If you want to have someone keep an eye on you remotely while running out at night or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin accomplishes this without needing anything else.
It is quite liberating to be outdoors without a phone, but that functionality carries quite a cost, both in terms of the colossal cost of the watch and the monthly fee of the inReach plan to enable the service. At least it is not dependent on your phone carrier so works with all brand of smartphone and carrier.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier gadget for someone who hates being weighed down by their phone when running, biking or trekking, but still wants to be locatable and contactable. For everyone else, it is a lot of money when the superb Fenix 8 is already available.
Pros: LTE and satellite communication, super-bright OLED screen, monitors everything with premier GPS, built-in flashlight, voice and standalone commands, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, full offline mapping and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre diving, physical controls and touchscreen.
Cons: very expensive, LTE and satellite functions need ongoing payment, restricted Garmin Pay bank support, speech features are sluggish, basic smartwatch functionality versus competing watches.
