Garmin Fenix 8 Pro Review: Built-in LTE and Orbital Connectivity for Phone-Free Messaging

This newest version of Garmin's premium Fenix adventure watch includes a life-saving feature: no-phone communication and SOS messaging via 4G LTE or orbital links.

This Fenix 8 Pro enhances the already outstanding Fenix 8 by incorporating cutting-edge mobile tech, along with an available advanced microLED screen in a special edition. This is Garmin's premier device and engineered to be the single gadget required to venture virtually anywhere and track every activity.

That positions it as an very expensive proposition, 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 edition with microLED screen – nearly twice the price of the regular Fenix 8.

Users receive a significant functionality for your money, with industry-leading fitness, movement and outdoor monitoring. The complete offline maps of the world can seamlessly guide you back to the trail if you lose your way absent a phone, and appear excellent on the sizable, crisp and high-luminance display.

This Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively offered in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, not the smaller 43mm version found in other devices, so it is a large watch for bigger wrists. But the 47mm OLED model as reviewed does have an extra day of watch battery life despite the display on all the time, lasting a reliable eight to nine days between charges.

No-Phone Texting, Calling and Live Tracking

Garmin uses its own inReach LTE (4G) and orbital service plan instead of depending on a watch plan linked to your mobile carrier, as with other wearables. However in contrast to 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 audio messaging, calls and LiveTrack position tracking – so your contacts or family can monitor you while out running, cycling or similar pursuits – along with emergency orbital SOS alerts.

Check-ins and texts over orbital are then billed additionally, with higher-tier plans including various allowances of satellite usage, climbing to a £50 a month all-inclusive plan. The watch comes with a 30-day trial period so you can test out the functionality.

Once you have completed setup, you just venture the door minus your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You cannot use it for playing music or similar activities, but you can place and receive calls, send texts and generally keep in touch with your relatives and friends.

When you text someone, Garmin sends them an SMS from a arbitrary phone number, which they can reply to back to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger app, you can then message reciprocally using text or voice communications, and make voice calls. Your contact is not required to have a Garmin profile to use the Messenger application, just a phone number is sufficient to sign up for texts.

Texting on the watch works fine but typing out texts on the small on-screen keyboard is slow. It includes a set of customisable pre-set replies you can use to speed things up. Spoken recordings and calls work acceptably, although as with most smartwatches, you’re unlikely going to want to use it for lengthy discussions as the audio clarity is not ideal.

LiveTrack is the most useful feature. You can configure to on its own send a URL to chosen contacts every time you start an activity, so they can track your real time position on a map. It’s great for following competition performance, but it mostly acts as a tool for someone you trust to know your location in case an incident occurs. It has generally worked well, although the actual location has sometimes been delayed when moving in and out of strong LTE coverage.

All of these capabilities are accessible on other Garmin watches if you carry your phone with you, but in locations where LTE does not reach, the satellite kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, position check-ins and emergency SOS.

A guide 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 straightforward to use and could be a crucial lifeline, however it is essential to note that satellite service is limited to the US continent, the majority of Canada, and most of Europe excluding parts of Scandinavia above 65 degrees latitude.

Sustainability

The watch is typically serviceable with services available via the customer service site. The battery is rated to retain at least 90% of its original power after two years of regular charging. The watch does not contain any reused materials. Garmin provides disposal schemes 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 subscription plans begin from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).

Verdict

The Fenix 8 Pro builds on a fantastic adventure watch in the standard Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for messaging, calls and LiveTrack – along with orbital communication, location update and SOS SOS for when you’re without signal.

The result is an increasingly remarkable adventure device for those that want to be phone-free. If you want to have someone monitor you remotely while exercising after dark or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin does so without needing anything else.

It is very liberating to be outside without a phone, but that capability carries quite a cost, both in terms of the colossal cost of the watch and the monthly subscription of the inReach plan to provide the features. Fortunately it is not dependent on your phone provider so functions with any make of smartphone and network.

The Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier gadget for someone who hates being burdened by their phone when jogging, cycling or trekking, but still wants to be locatable and contactable. For everyone else, it is a lot of money when the excellent Fenix 8 already exists.

Advantages: LTE and satellite messaging, high-luminance OLED display, tracks all activities with best-in-class GPS, built-in flashlight, voice and standalone voice control, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, full offline mapping and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre diving, buttons and touchscreen.

Cons: extremely costly, LTE and satellite functions require ongoing subscription, restricted Garmin Pay financial compatibility, speech features are slow, limited wearable features versus Apple/Google/Samsung watches.