🔗 Share this article

The most recent version of Garmin's premium Fenix adventure watch introduces a potentially lifesaving feature: no-phone communication and emergency alerts via 4G LTE or orbital connections.

The Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the already outstanding Fenix 8 by incorporating new mobile tech, plus an available advanced microLED screen in a limited edition. This is the brand's top device and engineered to be the only gadget required to venture virtually any location and monitor all your movements.

That positions it as an very pricey option, starting at £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED model and reaching a colossal £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm variant with microLED screen – almost twice the price of the regular Fenix 8.

You do get a significant features for your investment, with industry-leading fitness, activity and outdoor monitoring. The full offline mapping of the globe can seamlessly guide you return to the path if you lose your way absent a phone, and look great on the large, sharp and super-bright touchscreen.

This Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively available in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, omitting the more compact 43mm size available in other models, so it is a big watch for bigger wrists. However the 47mm OLED version as tested does have an additional day of watch battery life even with the display on all the time, enduring a solid eight to nine days between charges.

No-Phone Texting, Calls and Live Tracking

The company operates its own inReach LTE (4G) and orbital service service rather than relying on a watch plan linked to your phone carrier, like other smartwatches. However in contrast to Apple or Google's satellite-enabled devices, emergency messaging is not provided for no cost.

Instead, plans start at £7.99 or equivalent a month, which provides unlimited LTE SMS and voice messages, calls and LiveTrack position tracking – so your friends or family can monitor you while out jogging, biking or similar activities – plus SOS orbital SOS messaging.

Location updates and texts over satellite are then charged additionally, with higher-tier plans offering different quotas of orbital usage, increasing to a £50 a month unlimited subscription. The watch comes with a 30-day free trial so you can evaluate the functionality.

After you have got it set up, you simply head out outside without 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, dispatch texts and overall keep in touch with your family and friends.

When you message someone, Garmin sends them an SMS from a random number, which they can reply to directly to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger app, you can then communicate back and forth via text or spoken messages, and initiate voice calls. Your contact does not need a Garmin profile to use the Messenger app, just a phone number is enough to register for texts.

Texting on the watch works adequately but composing texts on the small on-screen keyboard is slow. It includes a set of personalizable pre-set responses you can send to speed things up. Spoken recordings and calls perform OK, although as with the majority of smartwatches, 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 link to chosen contacts every time you begin an exercise, so they can track your live location on a map. It’s great for following competition progress, but it primarily acts as a utility for someone you rely on to know your whereabouts in case something happens. It has generally functioned well, although the real location has sometimes lagged when moving in and out of strong LTE coverage.

These capabilities are available on other Garmin devices if you carry your phone with you, but in locations where LTE lacks coverage, the orbital kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, position check-ins and emergency SOS.

A guide displays you how to find 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 vital lifeline, though it is important to note that orbital coverage is restricted to the US mainland, the majority of Canada, and most of Europe except for regions of Scandinavia above 65 degrees north.

Environmental Impact

The watch is generally repairable with options offered through the support portal. The battery is rated to retain at least 90% of its initial capacity after two years of weekly charging. The watch does not contain any reused components. Garmin offers recycling programs on recent purchases.

Price

The Fenix 8 Pro costs from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The optional Garmin inReach subscription packages begin 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 adds LTE for messaging, calls and LiveTrack – plus satellite messaging, check-in and SOS SOS for when you’re out of signal.

The result is an increasingly impressive adventure tool for those that desire to be phone-free. If you want to have someone keep an eye on you from afar while running after dark or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin accomplishes this without requiring additional gear.

It is very freeing to be outside without a phone, but that capability comes at quite a cost, both in terms of the substantial price of the watch and the recurring fee of the inReach service to enable the features. Fortunately it isn’t dependent on your phone carrier so works with all make of smartphone and carrier.

The Fenix 8 Pro is a killer gadget for someone who dislikes being weighed down by their phone when running, biking or trekking, but nevertheless desires to be trackable and contactable. For everyone else, it is a significant expense when the superb Fenix 8 is already available.

Pros: LTE and orbital communication, high-luminance OLED display, monitors all activities with premier GPS, built-in flashlight, voice and standalone voice control, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, complete offline mapping and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre diving, buttons and touchscreen.

Cons: very expensive, LTE and orbital functions need ongoing payment, limited Garmin Pay financial compatibility, voice capabilities are slow, limited wearable features compared with Apple/Google/Samsung watches.