The latest model of the top-tier Fenix adventure timepiece includes a life-saving feature: phone-free communication and emergency messaging via 4G LTE or orbital links.
The Fenix 8 Pro enhances the previously impressive Fenix 8 by adding new mobile tech, along with an available advanced microLED screen in a special edition. This is Garmin's premier device and engineered to be the only tool required to explore almost any location and track every activity.
This makes it an very expensive proposition, starting at £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED version and climbing to a colossal £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm edition with microLED display – nearly double the cost of the regular Fenix 8.
Users get a lot of functionality for your investment, with industry-leading workout, activity and adventure tracking. Its full offline maps of the globe can automatically guide you return to the path if you lose your way without a phone, and appear excellent on the sizable, sharp and super-bright touchscreen.
This Fenix 8 Pro is only offered in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, omitting the more compact 43mm version available in other devices, so it is a big watch for bigger wrists. But the 47mm OLED version as tested does have an additional day of watch battery life even with the screen on all the time, enduring a reliable eight to nine days between charging.
Phone-Free Texting, Calls and Real-Time Location
The company uses its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and orbital subscription service instead of depending on a watch plan linked to your mobile provider, like other wearables. But in contrast to Apple or Google's satellite-enabled devices, SOS messaging is not included for free.
Instead, plans begin from £7.99 or similar a month, which provides unlimited LTE text and audio messages, call functionality and LiveTrack position sharing – so your contacts or loved ones can monitor you while out running, biking or comparable pursuits – plus emergency orbital SOS alerts.
Check-ins and messages over satellite are then billed on top, with higher-tier plans offering various quotas of satellite use, increasing to a £50 a month unlimited plan. The watch comes with a 30-day free trial so you can evaluate the service.
Once you have completed setup, you simply head out the door without your phone and the watch will link to LTE. You cannot use it for streaming music or similar tasks, but you can make and take calls, dispatch texts and overall stay connected with your relatives and companions.
When you message someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a random number, which they can respond to back to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger app, you can then communicate reciprocally via text or spoken communications, and initiate voice calls. Your contact is not required to have a Garmin profile to use the Messenger application, only a phone number is enough to sign up for texts.
Texting on the watch functions fine but composing texts on the small on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It has a collection of personalizable pre-set replies you can send to speed things up. Spoken messages and calls perform OK, although as with the majority of smartwatches, you’re unlikely going to want to use it for extended discussions as the audio clarity is less than fantastic.
LiveTrack is the handiest feature. You can set it up to automatically send a link to chosen contacts every time you begin an activity, so they can follow your live position on a map. It’s excellent for following competition performance, but it mostly serves as a utility for someone you trust to know your whereabouts in case something happens. It has typically functioned well, though the real location has occasionally been delayed when moving in and out of strong LTE coverage.
All of these features are available on other Garmin devices if you carry your phone with you, but in areas where LTE does not reach, the orbital activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, position check-ins and SOS SOS.
A on-screen assistance shows you how to find the line of sight to the satellite, which then transmits and gets communications within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was unexpectedly easy to use and could be a crucial safety feature, however it is essential to note that orbital service is restricted to the US mainland, most of Canada, and the majority of Europe excluding parts of Scandinavia above 65 degrees latitude.
Sustainability
The watch is generally repairable with services offered via the support site. The battery is certified to retain at least 90% of its initial capacity after two years of regular charging. The watch lacks any recycled materials. Garmin provides disposal schemes on recent purchases.
Cost
The Fenix 8 Pro costs from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The additional Garmin inReach subscription packages cost from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Verdict
The Fenix 8 Pro builds on a excellent adventure watch in the standard Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for messaging, call functionality and LiveTrack – along with satellite communication, check-in and SOS SOS for when you’re without signal.
The result is an increasingly remarkable outdoor device for those that desire to be unplugged. If you want to have someone monitor you from afar while running out at night or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin accomplishes this without needing additional gear.
It is very liberating to be outside without a phone, but that functionality carries quite a cost, both in terms of the colossal cost of the watch and the recurring subscription of the inReach plan to provide the service. At least it isn’t dependent on your phone carrier so works with all make of smartphone and network.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier gadget for someone who dislikes being burdened by their phone when jogging, biking or hiking, but still wants to be locatable and reachable. For other users, it is a significant expense when the excellent Fenix 8 already exists.
Advantages: LTE and orbital communication, high-luminance OLED display, tracks everything with premier GPS, integrated torch, phone and standalone commands, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, complete offline mapping and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre underwater use, physical controls and touchscreen.
Drawbacks: extremely expensive, LTE and satellite functions need monthly subscription, limited Garmin Pay financial compatibility, speech features are slow, basic smartwatch features compared with competing watches.
