The most recent iteration of the premium Fenix outdoor timepiece brings a life-saving feature: no-phone communication and emergency alerts using 4G LTE or orbital connections.
The Fenix 8 Pro builds upon the already impressive Fenix 8 by adding new cellular technology, along with an available advanced microLED screen in a special edition. It is Garmin's top model and engineered to be the only tool needed to venture almost anywhere and track every activity.
This makes it an extremely pricey proposition, starting at £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 – almost twice the price of the regular Fenix 8.
You do get a significant features for your investment, with best-in-class workout, movement and outdoor tracking. Its complete offline maps of the globe can seamlessly direct you return to the path if you get lost without a phone, and look great on the large, crisp and super-bright touchscreen.
The Fenix 8 Pro is only offered in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, not the more compact 43mm size found in other devices, so it is a big watch for bigger wrists. But the 47mm OLED version as reviewed does have an extra day of smartwatch battery life even with the screen on all the time, lasting a reliable eight to nine days between charging.
Phone-Free Texting, Calling and Live Tracking
Garmin operates its own inReach LTE (4G) and satellite subscription service instead of depending on a watch plan tied to your mobile provider, as with other smartwatches. But in contrast to Apple or Google's satellite-enabled devices, SOS communication is not provided for no cost.
Rather, subscriptions begin from £7.99 or equivalent a month, which includes limitless LTE text and audio messages, calls and LiveTrack position tracking – so your contacts or family can monitor you while out running, biking or similar activities – plus SOS orbital SOS alerts.
Check-ins and texts via orbital are then billed on top, with higher-tier subscriptions including different quotas of orbital usage, increasing to a £50 a month all-inclusive plan. The watch includes a 30-day trial period so you can test out the service.
After you have got it set up, you just head out the door minus your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You cannot use it for streaming music or similar activities, but you can place and receive calls, send texts and overall stay connected with your relatives and companions.
Whenever you message 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 typed or voice communications, and initiate voice calls. Your contact does not need a Garmin profile to use the Messenger app, just a mobile number is sufficient to register for texts.
Messaging on the watch functions adequately but composing texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is slow. It has a set of customisable canned replies you can send to speed things up. Spoken recordings and calls work acceptably, though as with the majority of smartwatches, you’re not going to want to use it for extended discussions as the audio clarity is less than ideal.
LiveTrack is the handiest function. You can configure to on its own send a link to chosen contacts every time you begin an exercise, so they can follow your live location on a map. It’s excellent for monitoring competition performance, but it mostly serves as a tool for someone you rely on to know your location in case an incident occurs. It has generally functioned well, though the actual position has sometimes been delayed when transitioning in and out of good LTE signal.
All of these capabilities are available on other Garmin devices if you carry your phone with you, but in locations where LTE does not reach, the orbital kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, location check-ins and SOS SOS.
A guide shows you how to locate the line of sight to the orbital system, which then sends and receives messages within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was surprisingly easy to use and could be a vital lifeline, however it is important to remember that orbital service is limited to the US continent, most of Canada, and most of Europe except for regions of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees latitude.
Sustainability
The watch is generally serviceable with services offered through the support site. The battery is rated to maintain at least 90% of its original capacity after two years of weekly charging. The watch does not contain any recycled components. Garmin provides disposal programs on recent 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 cost 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 messaging, calls and LiveTrack – plus satellite communication, location update and SOS SOS for when you’re out of signal.
The result is an even more impressive adventure tool for those that want to be phone-free. If you wish 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 requiring anything else.
It is very freeing to be outdoors without a phone, but that capability comes at quite a price, both in terms of the colossal cost of the watch and the recurring subscription of the inReach plan to enable the service. Fortunately it isn’t dependent on your phone provider so functions with any brand of smartphone and network.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a killer device for someone who hates being burdened by their phone when running, biking or hiking, but still wants to be trackable and contactable. For everyone else, it is a lot of money when the superb Fenix 8 is already available.
Pros: LTE and orbital communication, super-bright OLED screen, tracks all activities with premier GPS, integrated torch, phone and standalone commands, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, full offline maps and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre underwater use, buttons and touchscreen.
Drawbacks: extremely expensive, LTE and orbital functions require ongoing payment, restricted Garmin Pay financial compatibility, voice capabilities are slow, basic wearable features compared with Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
