The most recent version of the top-tier Fenix adventure watch includes a life-saving capability: no-phone messaging and SOS alerts using 4G LTE or orbital links.
This Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the previously outstanding Fenix 8 by incorporating new mobile tech, plus an optional advanced microLED screen in a special edition. This is Garmin's premier device and engineered to be the only gadget needed to venture almost anywhere and monitor every activity.
This makes it an extremely expensive option, priced from £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 display – nearly double the cost of the regular Fenix 8.
Users receive a lot of functionality for your investment, with best-in-class fitness, activity and outdoor monitoring. The complete offline maps of the world can seamlessly guide you back to the path if you get lost without a phone, and appear great on the sizable, sharp and super-bright display.
This Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively available in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, not the more compact 43mm version found in other models, so it is a large watch for bigger wrists. However the 47mm OLED version as reviewed boasts an extra day of smartwatch battery life even with the screen always active, lasting a solid eight to nine days between charges.
Phone-Free Messaging, Calling and Live Tracking
The company uses its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and orbital subscription plan rather than depending on a watch plan tied to your phone provider, like other smartwatches. But unlike Apple or Google's satellite-enabled products, SOS communication is not provided for free.
Rather, plans begin from £7.99 or equivalent a month, which includes unlimited LTE SMS and voice messages, calls and LiveTrack location tracking – so your friends or loved ones can keep an eye on you while out running, biking or similar activities – along with emergency satellite SOS messaging.
Check-ins and messages over orbital are then billed on top, with more expensive subscriptions offering various quotas of satellite use, increasing to a £50 a month unlimited subscription. The watch comes with a 30-day trial period so you can test out the service.
Once you have completed setup, you simply venture outside without your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You cannot use it for playing music or similar tasks, but you can place and receive calls, send texts and generally keep in touch with your family and friends.
Whenever you message 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 application, you can then message reciprocally using text or spoken messages, and initiate voice calls. Your recipient is not required to have a Garmin account to use the Messenger app, only a phone number is sufficient to sign up for texts.
Messaging on the watch functions adequately but composing texts on the small on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It has a set of customisable canned replies you can send to speed things up. Spoken recordings and calls perform OK, though as with the majority of wearables, you’re not going to wish to use it for lengthy discussions as the quality is not fantastic.
LiveTrack is the most useful feature. You can configure to automatically transmit a URL to selected contacts whenever you begin an exercise, so they can follow your live position on a map. It’s excellent for monitoring competition performance, but it primarily serves as a utility for someone you rely on to be aware of your location in case an incident occurs. It has typically functioned well, though the real position has sometimes been delayed when moving in and out of strong LTE signal.
All of these capabilities are accessible on other Garmin watches if you bring your phone with you, but in areas where LTE does not reach, the satellite kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, location updates and SOS SOS.
A on-screen assistance shows you how to locate the clear view to the satellite, which then sends and receives communications within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was surprisingly straightforward to use and could be a crucial safety feature, though it is essential to remember that orbital coverage is limited to the US continent, the majority of Canada, and most of Europe excluding regions of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees latitude.
Sustainability
The watch is generally serviceable with services offered via the customer service portal. The battery is rated to retain at least 90% of its original capacity after two years of weekly charging. The watch lacks any recycled materials. Garmin offers recycling programs on recent purchases.
Price
This Fenix 8 Pro costs from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The additional Garmin inReach subscription plans begin 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 incorporates LTE for texting, calls and LiveTrack – along with orbital messaging, location update and emergency SOS for when you’re out of signal.
The result is an even more remarkable adventure device for those that want to be unplugged. If you want to have someone keep an eye on you remotely while exercising after dark or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin accomplishes this without requiring anything else.
It is very liberating to be outside without a phone, but that functionality carries quite a price, both in terms of the colossal cost of the watch and the recurring fee of the inReach service to provide the features. Fortunately it isn’t reliant on your phone carrier so functions with any make of smartphone and carrier.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a killer device for someone who dislikes being burdened by their phone when jogging, cycling or trekking, but still wants to be trackable and reachable. For other users, it is a significant expense when the excellent Fenix 8 is already available.
Pros: LTE and satellite messaging, super-bright OLED screen, tracks everything with best-in-class GPS, built-in flashlight, voice and offline voice control, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, complete offline maps and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre diving, buttons and touchscreen.
Cons: extremely expensive, LTE and orbital features need ongoing payment, restricted Garmin Pay bank support, speech capabilities are slow, limited wearable functionality compared with competing watches.
