This newest model of Garmin's top-tier Fenix outdoor watch includes a potentially lifesaving capability: phone-free messaging and SOS alerts via 4G LTE or satellite connections.
This Fenix 8 Pro enhances the already outstanding Fenix 8 by incorporating new mobile tech, plus an available advanced microLED display in a limited edition. It is Garmin's top device and engineered to be the only tool required to explore virtually any location and track all your movements.
This makes it an extremely expensive proposition, priced from £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 edition with microLED screen – nearly twice the price of the standard Fenix 8.
You do receive a lot of functionality for your investment, with industry-leading workout, movement and outdoor monitoring. The complete offline maps of the world can seamlessly direct you back to the path if you lose your way without a phone, and appear excellent on the large, sharp and super-bright touchscreen.
This Fenix 8 Pro is only offered in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, not the smaller 43mm size available in other models, so it is a big watch for larger wrists. However the 47mm OLED version as tested boasts an extra day of watch battery life despite the screen always active, lasting a reliable eight to nine days between charges.
No-Phone Texting, Calls and Live Tracking
The company operates its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and satellite subscription plan instead of relying on a watch plan linked to your phone carrier, like other wearables. However unlike competing satellite-capable devices, SOS messaging is not provided for free.
Instead, plans start at £7.99 or equivalent a month, which provides limitless LTE text and audio messages, calls and LiveTrack location sharing – so your friends or family can monitor you while out running, cycling or similar activities – plus SOS orbital SOS alerts.
Location updates and messages over orbital are then charged additionally, with higher-tier plans offering different quotas of orbital usage, climbing to a £50 a month all-inclusive subscription. The watch includes a 30-day free trial so you can evaluate the functionality.
After you have got it set up, you just head out the door without your phone and the watch will link to LTE. You can not use it for streaming music or comparable tasks, but you can make and take calls, send texts and generally stay connected with your relatives and companions.
Whenever 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 back and forth using typed or spoken messages, and make voice calls. Your recipient is not required to have a Garmin profile to use the Messenger app, just a phone number is sufficient to sign up for texts.
Texting on the watch functions fine but composing texts on the small on-screen keyboard is slow. It has a set of personalizable canned replies you can send to speed things up. Spoken recordings and calls perform acceptably, though as with the majority of smartwatches, you’re not going to want to use it for extended discussions as the quality is not ideal.
LiveTrack is the most useful function. You can configure to on its own send a URL to selected contacts every time you start an exercise, so they can follow your live position on a map. It’s excellent for following race performance, but it primarily acts as a tool for someone you rely on to know your whereabouts in case an incident occurs. It has generally worked effectively, though the real position has sometimes lagged when moving in and out of good LTE coverage.
All of these capabilities are available on other Garmin watches if you bring your phone with you, but in areas where LTE does not reach, the satellite activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, position updates and emergency SOS.
A on-screen assistance shows you how to locate the line of sight to the satellite, which then sends and receives communications within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was unexpectedly easy to use and could be a vital lifeline, though it is important to remember that orbital coverage is restricted to the US continent, the majority of Canada, and most of Europe excluding parts of Scandinavia above 65 degrees north.
Sustainability
The watch is typically repairable with options available via the support portal. The battery is rated to retain at least 90% of its original power after two years of regular charging. The watch does not contain any recycled components. Garmin provides recycling programs on new 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 plans begin from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Verdict
The Fenix 8 Pro builds on a fantastic adventure watch in the standard Fenix 8 and adds LTE for texting, call functionality and LiveTrack – plus satellite messaging, location update and SOS SOS for when you’re without coverage.
The result is an increasingly impressive outdoor tool for those that desire to be unplugged. If you wish to have someone monitor you remotely while exercising after dark or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin does so without needing anything else.
This is very liberating to be outdoors without a phone, but that functionality comes at a significant price, both in terms of the colossal price of the watch and the monthly subscription of the inReach plan to enable the features. At least it isn’t reliant on your phone carrier so works with any make of smartphone and network.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier device for someone who hates being burdened by their phone when jogging, biking or trekking, but still wants to be locatable and reachable. For other users, it is a significant money when the excellent Fenix 8 is already available.
Advantages: LTE and orbital messaging, super-bright OLED display, monitors all activities with best-in-class GPS, built-in torch, phone and standalone voice control, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, complete offline mapping and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre underwater use, buttons and touchscreen.
Drawbacks: extremely costly, LTE and satellite functions need ongoing payment, restricted Garmin Pay bank compatibility, voice capabilities are slow, basic smartwatch functionality versus competing watches.
