This most recent model of Garmin's top-tier Fenix adventure timepiece brings a potentially lifesaving feature: no-phone communication and emergency alerts using 4G LTE or satellite connections.
The Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the already impressive Fenix 8 by incorporating cutting-edge mobile tech, plus an available state-of-the-art microLED display in a special edition. It is Garmin's premier model and designed to be the only tool needed to explore almost 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 colossal £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm variant with microLED screen – nearly twice the price of the standard Fenix 8.
You do get a lot of functionality for your investment, with best-in-class fitness, movement and outdoor monitoring. Its full offline maps of the globe can automatically direct you return to the trail if you get lost without a phone, and look excellent on the large, crisp and super-bright display.
The Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively offered in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, not the more compact 43mm size available in other devices, so it is a large watch for bigger wrists. But the 47mm OLED version as reviewed does have an extra day of smartwatch battery life even with the display always active, lasting a reliable eight to nine days between charges.
Phone-Free Messaging, Calling and Real-Time Location
The company uses its own inReach LTE (4G) and satellite subscription plan instead of relying on a watch plan linked to your mobile carrier, as with other wearables. However unlike Apple or Google's satellite-capable devices, emergency messaging is not provided for free.
Rather, subscriptions start at £7.99 or similar a month, which includes unlimited LTE text and voice messages, calls and LiveTrack position sharing – so your friends or family can monitor you while out running, biking or comparable pursuits – plus emergency orbital SOS messaging.
Check-ins and texts over satellite are then billed additionally, with higher-tier plans offering different allowances of orbital use, increasing to a £50 a month all-inclusive plan. The watch includes a 30-day free trial so you can evaluate the service.
After you have got it set up, you simply head out the door minus your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You can not use it for playing music or similar activities, but you can place and receive calls, dispatch texts and overall stay connected with your family and friends.
When you text someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a random number, which they can respond to directly to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger app, you can then communicate back and forth via text or spoken communications, and make voice calls. Your contact is not required to have a Garmin profile to use the Messenger application, only a phone number is sufficient to register for texts.
Messaging on the watch functions fine but composing texts on the small on-screen keyboard is slow. It has a set of personalizable pre-set responses you can use to speed things up. Spoken messages and calls work OK, although as with most wearables, you’re not going to want to use it for lengthy discussions as the quality is not fantastic.
LiveTrack is the most useful function. You can configure to automatically transmit a URL to selected contacts whenever you begin an exercise, so they can follow your real time position on a map. It’s great for following competition performance, but it primarily acts as a utility for someone you rely on to know your whereabouts in case an incident occurs. It has typically worked well, though the actual location has sometimes lagged when transitioning in and out of strong LTE signal.
All of these capabilities are available on other Garmin watches if you carry your phone with you, but in locations where LTE lacks coverage, 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 satellite, which then sends and receives communications within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was unexpectedly straightforward to use and could be a crucial safety feature, however it is essential to remember that satellite coverage is limited to the US continent, the majority of Canada, and the majority of Europe excluding parts of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees north.
Sustainability
The watch is typically serviceable with services offered through the support portal. The battery is certified to maintain at least 90% of its original capacity after two years of regular charging. The watch lacks any recycled materials. Garmin offers 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 additional Garmin inReach subscription plans cost from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Conclusion
The Fenix 8 Pro builds on a excellent adventure watch in the standard Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for messaging, call functionality and LiveTrack – plus satellite communication, location update and SOS SOS for when you’re out of coverage.
Outcome 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 running out at night or in the remote areas, the Garmin does so without requiring anything else.
This is very freeing to be outside without a phone, but that capability carries a significant cost, both in terms of the colossal price of the watch and the recurring fee of the inReach service to enable the service. Fortunately it is not reliant on your phone provider so functions with any brand of smartphone and carrier.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier device for someone who dislikes being weighed down by their phone when jogging, cycling or trekking, but nevertheless wants to be trackable and reachable. For everyone else, it is a lot of expense when the superb Fenix 8 is already available.
Pros: LTE and orbital communication, high-luminance OLED screen, monitors everything with best-in-class GPS, integrated flashlight, phone and standalone voice control, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, complete offline maps and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre underwater use, physical controls and touchscreen.
Cons: very costly, LTE and orbital features need monthly subscription, restricted Garmin Pay bank compatibility, speech features are sluggish, limited wearable features compared with competing watches.
