Garmin Fenix 8 Pro Review: Built-in LTE and Satellite Connectivity for No-Phone Messaging

This most recent iteration of Garmin's premium Fenix adventure timepiece includes a life-saving capability: phone-free messaging and emergency alerts via 4G LTE or satellite connections.

The Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the previously outstanding Fenix 8 by adding cutting-edge mobile technology, along with an available advanced microLED display in a special edition. This is Garmin's premier device and designed to be the single tool needed to explore almost anywhere and track every activity.

This makes it an very 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 variant with microLED display – almost twice the cost of the standard Fenix 8.

Users receive a significant features for your investment, with industry-leading workout, activity and outdoor tracking. The full offline maps of the globe can automatically direct you back to the path if you get lost without a phone, and appear great on the sizable, sharp and high-luminance display.

This Fenix 8 Pro is only available in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, not the smaller 43mm version available in other devices, so it is a large watch for larger wrists. But the 47mm OLED version as reviewed boasts an extra day of watch battery life despite the display on all the time, enduring a reliable eight to nine days between charges.

No-Phone Texting, Calls and Real-Time Location

The company uses its own inReach LTE (4G) and orbital service plan instead of depending on a watch plan linked to your mobile provider, as with other smartwatches. However unlike Apple or Google's satellite-enabled products, SOS communication is not included for free.

Instead, plans start at £7.99 or equivalent a month, which provides limitless LTE text and audio messaging, call functionality and LiveTrack position sharing – so your friends or family can monitor you while out jogging, cycling or comparable pursuits – along with emergency orbital SOS alerts.

Location updates and texts over orbital are then charged on top, with higher-tier subscriptions offering various allowances of orbital use, increasing to a £50 a month unlimited subscription. The watch includes a 30-day free trial so you can test out the functionality.

Once you have completed setup, you just head out outside minus your phone and the watch will link to LTE. You can not use it for streaming music or comparable tasks, but you are able to place and receive calls, send texts and overall stay connected with your relatives and companions.

When you message someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a arbitrary number, which they can reply to directly to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger app, you can then message back and forth using typed or voice communications, and make voice calls. Your contact is not required to have a Garmin account to use the Messenger app, only a phone number is sufficient to register for texts.

Texting on the watch works fine but composing texts on the small on-screen keyboard is slow. It has a set of customisable canned replies you can send to speed things up. Voice messages and calls work acceptably, though as with most smartwatches, you’re not going to wish to use it for lengthy discussions as the audio clarity is not fantastic.

LiveTrack is the most useful feature. You can set it up to automatically transmit a link to chosen contacts every time you start an activity, so they can follow your real time position on a map. It’s great for following race performance, but it mostly acts as a tool for someone you trust to know your whereabouts in case an incident occurs. It has typically worked well, though the actual position has sometimes lagged when moving in and out of good LTE coverage.

All of these features are available on other Garmin watches if you bring your phone with you, but in locations where LTE lacks coverage, the satellite kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, position updates and SOS SOS.

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

Environmental Impact

The watch is generally serviceable with options available via the support site. The battery is rated to maintain at least 90% of its original power after two years of weekly charging. The watch does not contain any reused materials. Garmin offers 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 optional Garmin inReach service packages cost from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).

Verdict

This Fenix 8 Pro builds on a fantastic outdoor watch in the regular Fenix 8 and adds LTE for texting, call functionality and LiveTrack – plus satellite communication, check-in and SOS SOS for when you’re without coverage.

The result is an even more remarkable adventure device for those that want to be phone-free. If you wish to have someone keep an eye on you from afar while running out at night or in the remote areas, the Garmin accomplishes this without requiring anything else.

This is very freeing to be outdoors without a phone, but that capability carries a significant cost, both in terms of the substantial cost of the watch and the recurring subscription of the inReach service to provide the features. At least it isn’t reliant on your phone provider so works with all make of smartphone and network.

This Fenix 8 Pro is a killer gadget for someone who dislikes being weighed down by their phone when running, cycling or hiking, but nevertheless desires to be trackable and contactable. For other users, it is a significant money when the superb Fenix 8 is already available.

Advantages: LTE and orbital communication, super-bright OLED screen, monitors everything with premier GPS, integrated torch, phone and standalone voice control, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, complete offline maps and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre diving, buttons and touchscreen.

Cons: very costly, LTE and satellite features need ongoing payment, restricted Garmin Pay bank compatibility, speech capabilities are slow, limited wearable features compared with competing watches.