The latest iteration of Garmin's top-tier Fenix adventure watch brings a potentially lifesaving capability: no-phone communication and emergency alerts using 4G LTE or satellite connections.
This Fenix 8 Pro enhances the already outstanding Fenix 8 by incorporating new mobile tech, plus an optional advanced microLED screen in a limited edition. It is Garmin's premier device and engineered to be the single tool needed to explore almost anywhere and monitor every activity.
This makes it an extremely pricey option, starting at £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 variant with microLED screen – nearly double the price of the regular Fenix 8.
You do get a lot of features for your investment, with industry-leading fitness, movement and adventure tracking. Its complete offline maps of the globe can automatically guide you back to the path if you get lost without a phone, and look great on the sizable, sharp and high-luminance display.
This Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively available in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, omitting the smaller 43mm version found in other models, so it is a large watch for larger wrists. But the 47mm OLED version as reviewed does have an additional day of smartwatch battery life despite the display always active, enduring a reliable eight to nine days between charges.
Phone-Free Texting, Calling and Real-Time Location
Garmin uses its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and orbital service service instead of depending on a watch plan linked to your phone carrier, like other wearables. However unlike competing satellite-capable products, SOS communication is not provided for no cost.
Instead, plans start at £7.99 or similar a month, which includes limitless LTE SMS and audio messages, calls and LiveTrack position sharing – so your friends or loved ones can keep an eye on you while engaged in jogging, biking or similar pursuits – along with emergency orbital SOS messaging.
Location updates and messages over satellite are then charged additionally, with higher-tier plans offering various quotas of satellite usage, increasing to a £50 a month unlimited plan. The watch comes with a 30-day trial period so you can evaluate the functionality.
After you have completed setup, you simply venture outside without your phone and the watch will link to LTE. You cannot use it for streaming music or similar tasks, but you can place and receive calls, dispatch texts and overall keep in touch with your family and friends.
When you message someone, Garmin sends them an SMS from a arbitrary phone number, which they can respond to back to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger app, you can then message back and forth using text or voice communications, 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 register for texts.
Messaging on the watch functions adequately but composing texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It includes a set of personalizable canned replies you can use to expedite communication. Spoken recordings and calls perform acceptably, though as with most wearables, you’re unlikely going to wish to use it for lengthy conversations as the audio clarity is less than fantastic.
LiveTrack is the most useful feature. You can set it up to on its own send a URL to selected contacts every time you begin an exercise, so they can track your real time location on a map. It’s excellent for monitoring competition performance, but it mostly serves as a tool for someone you trust to know your location in case an incident occurs. It has typically functioned effectively, although the real location has occasionally been delayed when moving in and out of strong LTE coverage.
These capabilities are accessible on other Garmin watches if you carry your phone with you, but in areas where LTE lacks coverage, the satellite kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, location check-ins and emergency 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 unexpectedly straightforward to use and could be a vital lifeline, however it is essential to remember that satellite coverage is limited to the US continent, most of Canada, and the majority of Europe except for parts of Scandinavia above 65 degrees north.
Sustainability
The watch is generally repairable with services offered through the support site. The battery is certified to retain at least 90% of its original capacity after two years of regular charging. The watch does not contain any recycled components. Garmin provides recycling programs on new purchases.
Cost
The Fenix 8 Pro costs 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
This Fenix 8 Pro builds on a fantastic outdoor watch in the standard Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for texting, calls and LiveTrack – plus orbital communication, location update and SOS SOS for when you’re out of coverage.
The result is an increasingly remarkable adventure tool for those that desire to be phone-free. If you want to have someone keep an eye on you from afar while exercising after dark or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin does so without needing additional gear.
This is very freeing to be outdoors without a phone, but that capability comes at a significant cost, both in terms of the colossal cost of the watch and the monthly subscription of the inReach service to provide the service. Fortunately it is not dependent on your phone carrier so functions with any brand of smartphone and carrier.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a killer device for someone who dislikes being burdened by their phone when running, biking or trekking, but still wants to be locatable and reachable. For other users, it is a significant expense when the excellent Fenix 8 already exists.
Advantages: LTE and satellite communication, high-luminance OLED screen, monitors all activities with best-in-class GPS, built-in flashlight, voice and offline commands, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, complete offline maps and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre underwater use, physical controls and touch.
Drawbacks: very expensive, LTE and satellite features need ongoing payment, limited Garmin Pay financial compatibility, speech features are slow, basic wearable features versus competing watches.
