This newest model of Garmin's flagship Fenix adventure watch introduces a life-saving capability: phone-free communication and SOS messaging via 4G LTE or satellite links.
The Fenix 8 Pro enhances the already impressive Fenix 8 by incorporating cutting-edge mobile tech, along with an available state-of-the-art microLED display in a special edition. It is the brand's premier device and engineered to be the only tool needed to venture almost anywhere and track all your movements.
This makes it an extremely pricey option, priced from £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED model and reaching a substantial £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm variant with microLED display – nearly twice the price of the standard Fenix 8.
Users receive a lot of features for your investment, with best-in-class workout, movement and outdoor monitoring. The full offline maps of the globe can seamlessly direct you return to the trail if you lose your way absent a phone, and look excellent on the sizable, sharp and high-luminance display.
The Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively available in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, not the smaller 43mm size found in other devices, so it is a big watch for bigger wrists. But the 47mm OLED model as tested does have an extra day of watch battery life despite the display always active, lasting a solid eight to nine days between charges.
Phone-Free Messaging, Calls and Real-Time Location
The company operates its own inReach LTE (4G) and satellite service plan instead of depending on a watch plan tied to your phone carrier, like other wearables. However in contrast to competing satellite-capable products, SOS messaging is not provided for no cost.
Rather, subscriptions begin from £7.99 or similar a month, which provides unlimited LTE text and voice messaging, call functionality and LiveTrack position tracking – so your friends or loved ones can monitor you while engaged in running, biking or similar pursuits – plus emergency satellite SOS messaging.
Check-ins and messages over satellite are then billed on top, with more expensive subscriptions including different allowances of satellite use, climbing to a £50 a month unlimited subscription. The watch comes with a 30-day trial period so you can test out the functionality.
Once you have completed setup, you simply head out outside minus your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You can not use it for playing music or similar tasks, but you are able to make and take calls, send texts and overall keep in touch with your family and friends.
Whenever you text someone, Garmin sends them an SMS from a random phone number, which they can reply to directly to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger app, you can then message back and forth via text or spoken communications, and make voice calls. Your contact is not required to have a Garmin account to use the Messenger app, just a mobile number is enough to sign up for texts.
Messaging on the watch works adequately but typing out texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It includes a set of personalizable canned responses you can send to expedite communication. Voice messages and calls work OK, although as with the majority of wearables, you’re not going to want to use it for lengthy discussions as the quality is less than ideal.
LiveTrack is the most useful function. You can set it up to on its own send a URL to selected contacts every time you begin an activity, so they can track your live position on a map. It’s great for monitoring competition performance, but it primarily serves as a tool for someone you rely on to know your whereabouts in case something happens. It has typically functioned well, though the real location has occasionally lagged when moving in and out of strong LTE coverage.
All of these capabilities are accessible on other Garmin devices if you bring your phone with you, but in areas where LTE lacks coverage, the orbital activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, location updates and SOS SOS.
A on-screen assistance displays you how to locate the line of sight 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 crucial safety feature, though it is important to remember that satellite service is restricted to the US mainland, most of Canada, and most of Europe excluding regions of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees north.
Sustainability
The watch is typically serviceable with services offered through the customer service portal. The battery is rated to maintain at least 90% of its original power after two years of weekly charging. The watch lacks any reused components. Garmin provides recycling programs on recent purchases.
Cost
The Fenix 8 Pro costs from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The optional Garmin inReach subscription packages cost from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Conclusion
The Fenix 8 Pro builds on a fantastic adventure watch in the standard Fenix 8 and adds LTE for messaging, calls and LiveTrack – plus orbital communication, check-in and emergency SOS for when you’re out of signal.
The result is an increasingly remarkable outdoor tool for those that want to be unplugged. If you wish to have someone keep an eye on you remotely while exercising after dark 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 capability comes at a significant cost, both in terms of the substantial cost of the watch and the monthly subscription of the inReach plan to provide the service. At least it isn’t dependent on your phone carrier so works with all brand of smartphone and network.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a killer gadget for someone who dislikes being burdened by their phone when jogging, biking or hiking, but still wants to be trackable and reachable. For other users, it is a significant expense when the superb Fenix 8 is already available.
Pros: LTE and satellite communication, high-luminance OLED display, monitors everything with best-in-class GPS, integrated flashlight, voice and standalone commands, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, full offline maps and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre underwater use, buttons and touchscreen.
Cons: extremely expensive, LTE and satellite features need ongoing subscription, limited Garmin Pay bank compatibility, voice features are sluggish, basic wearable functionality versus competing watches.
