This most recent iteration of Garmin's premium Fenix adventure timepiece brings a life-saving capability: no-phone messaging and SOS alerts using 4G LTE or orbital links.
The Fenix 8 Pro enhances the previously impressive Fenix 8 by adding cutting-edge cellular tech, plus an optional advanced microLED screen in a limited edition. This is the brand's top device and designed to be the only gadget needed to explore virtually any location and track all your movements.
That positions it as an very expensive proposition, starting at £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED version and reaching a colossal £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 fitness, movement and outdoor tracking. The complete offline maps of the world can automatically guide you back to the path if you get lost without a phone, and appear great on the large, crisp and high-luminance display.
This Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively available in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, not the smaller 43mm version found in other models, so it is a big watch for larger wrists. However the 47mm OLED model as tested boasts an additional day of watch battery life despite the display always active, lasting a reliable eight to nine days between charges.
No-Phone Texting, Calling and Real-Time Location
Garmin operates its own inReach LTE (4G) and orbital subscription service rather than depending on a watch plan linked to your phone carrier, as with other smartwatches. But in contrast to competing satellite-capable products, emergency communication is not provided for free.
Rather, subscriptions start at £7.99 or similar a month, which includes unlimited LTE text and voice messages, call functionality and LiveTrack location sharing – so your contacts or family can keep an eye on you while out jogging, biking or comparable activities – along with SOS satellite SOS messaging.
Check-ins and texts via orbital are then charged additionally, with more expensive plans offering different allowances of orbital usage, increasing to a £50 a month all-inclusive plan. The watch includes a 30-day free trial so you can test out the functionality.
Once you have completed setup, you just venture outside without your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You can not use it for streaming music or comparable tasks, but you can place and receive calls, dispatch texts and overall stay connected with your family and companions.
Whenever you text someone, Garmin dispatches 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 back and forth using typed or spoken messages, and initiate voice calls. Your recipient is not required to have a Garmin profile to use the Messenger app, just a phone number is sufficient to register for texts.
Texting on the watch functions adequately but composing texts on the small on-screen keyboard is slow. It includes a set of personalizable pre-set replies you can send to expedite communication. Spoken recordings and calls work acceptably, although as with the majority of wearables, you’re not going to want to use it for lengthy discussions as the quality is not fantastic.
LiveTrack is the most useful feature. You can set it up to automatically send a link to chosen contacts whenever you begin an activity, so they can track your live position on a map. It’s excellent for monitoring race performance, but it mostly acts as a utility for someone you trust to know your whereabouts in case something happens. It has generally functioned well, although the real position has sometimes lagged when moving in and out of good LTE coverage.
All of these features are accessible on other Garmin watches if you bring your phone with you, but in locations where LTE lacks coverage, the orbital activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, position updates and emergency SOS.
A on-screen assistance displays you how to locate the line of sight to the orbital system, which then transmits and gets communications within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was surprisingly easy to use and could be a vital lifeline, however it is essential to remember that orbital coverage is restricted to the US mainland, most of Canada, and most of Europe except for parts of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees north.
Sustainability
The watch is typically repairable with options offered via the support portal. The battery is rated to maintain at least 90% of its initial capacity after two years of regular charging. The watch does not contain any reused components. Garmin offers disposal programs on recent purchases.
Cost
This Fenix 8 Pro costs from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The additional Garmin inReach service packages begin from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Conclusion
This Fenix 8 Pro takes a fantastic outdoor watch in the standard Fenix 8 and adds LTE for texting, calls and LiveTrack – along with orbital messaging, location update and SOS SOS for when you’re without coverage.
Outcome is an increasingly remarkable adventure device for those that want to be phone-free. If you want to have someone keep an eye on you remotely while exercising after dark or in the remote areas, the Garmin does so without requiring additional gear.
This is very liberating to be outdoors without a phone, but that capability comes at a significant price, both in terms of the colossal price of the watch and the monthly fee of the inReach plan to provide the features. Fortunately it is not dependent on your phone carrier so works with any brand of smartphone and network.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a killer device for someone who dislikes being burdened by their phone when jogging, biking or hiking, but nevertheless desires to be trackable and contactable. For other users, it is a lot of expense when the excellent Fenix 8 is already available.
Advantages: LTE and satellite messaging, high-luminance OLED display, monitors everything with best-in-class GPS, built-in torch, voice and standalone voice control, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, full offline maps and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre underwater use, physical controls and touchscreen.
Drawbacks: extremely expensive, LTE and orbital functions need ongoing subscription, restricted Garmin Pay bank compatibility, voice capabilities are sluggish, limited wearable features compared with Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
