The Fenix 8 Pro Review: Built-in LTE and Satellite Communication for Phone-Free Messaging

This newest model of Garmin's flagship Fenix outdoor watch introduces a life-saving feature: no-phone messaging and emergency alerts via 4G LTE or satellite links.

This Fenix 8 Pro builds upon the already impressive Fenix 8 by adding cutting-edge cellular technology, along with an optional advanced microLED display in a special edition. This is the brand's top model and engineered to be the single tool needed to explore almost anywhere and track all your movements.

This positions it as an extremely pricey proposition, starting at £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED model and climbing to a colossal £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm edition with microLED screen – nearly double the cost of the standard Fenix 8.

Users receive a lot of functionality for your investment, with industry-leading fitness, activity and adventure tracking. Its complete offline mapping of the world can seamlessly direct you back to the trail if you get lost absent a phone, and look great on the large, sharp and super-bright display.

This Fenix 8 Pro is only offered in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, not the smaller 43mm size found in other models, so it is a big watch for bigger wrists. But the 47mm OLED version as reviewed boasts an additional day of smartwatch battery life despite the screen on all the time, enduring a reliable eight to nine days between charging.

No-Phone Texting, Calling and Real-Time Location

The company uses its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and orbital subscription plan rather than depending on a watch plan linked to your phone provider, as with other smartwatches. However in contrast to competing satellite-enabled products, emergency messaging is not included for free.

Rather, plans begin from £7.99 or similar a month, which includes unlimited LTE text and voice messages, call functionality and LiveTrack location tracking – so your friends or family can monitor you while engaged in jogging, biking or comparable activities – along with emergency orbital SOS alerts.

Check-ins and texts over orbital are then charged on top, with higher-tier subscriptions including different allowances of satellite use, climbing to a £50 a month all-inclusive plan. The watch comes with a 30-day free trial so you can evaluate the functionality.

Once you have completed setup, you simply head out outside minus your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You cannot use it for streaming music or similar activities, but you are able to place and receive calls, dispatch texts and overall stay connected with your relatives and friends.

When you message someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a random phone number, which they can reply to directly to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger app, you can then message back and forth using text or voice messages, and initiate voice calls. Your recipient does not need a Garmin account to use the Messenger application, only a phone number is enough to sign up for texts.

Messaging on the watch functions adequately but composing texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is slow. It includes a collection of personalizable canned responses you can send to speed things up. Spoken recordings and calls work OK, although as with the majority of wearables, you’re unlikely going to wish to use it for extended discussions as the quality is not fantastic.

LiveTrack is the handiest function. 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 position on a map. It’s excellent for following competition progress, but it primarily serves as a tool for someone you rely on to be aware of your location in case something happens. It has typically functioned effectively, though the real location has sometimes been delayed when transitioning in and out of good LTE coverage.

All of these capabilities are accessible on other Garmin devices if you carry your phone with you, but in areas where LTE lacks coverage, the satellite activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, position check-ins and SOS SOS.

A on-screen assistance shows you how to locate the clear view to the satellite, which then transmits and gets messages within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was unexpectedly easy to use and could be a vital lifeline, though it is essential to remember that satellite coverage is limited to the US mainland, the majority of Canada, and most of Europe excluding parts of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees north.

Sustainability

The watch is typically repairable with options offered via the support portal. The battery is certified to maintain at least 90% of its original power after two years of regular charging. The watch does not contain any reused components. Garmin provides disposal schemes on new purchases.

Cost

This 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 texting, call functionality and LiveTrack – along with orbital messaging, check-in and SOS SOS for when you’re out of coverage.

The result is an even more remarkable adventure device for those that desire to be unplugged. If you wish to have someone keep an eye on you from afar while exercising out at night or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin does so without requiring additional gear.

It is very freeing to be outdoors without a phone, but that capability carries quite a cost, both in terms of the colossal price of the watch and the monthly subscription of the inReach plan to provide the service. Fortunately it is not reliant on your phone provider so works with all brand of smartphone and carrier.

This Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier device for someone who dislikes being weighed down by their phone when jogging, biking or hiking, but still wants to be trackable and reachable. For everyone else, it is a lot of expense when the excellent Fenix 8 already exists.

Pros: LTE and orbital communication, super-bright OLED display, monitors everything with premier GPS, built-in torch, voice and offline voice control, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, complete offline maps and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre underwater use, physical controls and touchscreen.

Cons: extremely expensive, LTE and satellite features need ongoing subscription, limited Garmin Pay financial compatibility, speech features are sluggish, limited smartwatch features versus competing watches.