The newest model of Garmin's flagship Fenix outdoor timepiece introduces a potentially lifesaving feature: no-phone messaging and emergency alerts via 4G LTE or orbital connections.
The Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the already impressive Fenix 8 by incorporating new mobile tech, along with an available advanced microLED display in a special edition. This is the brand's premier device and designed to be the single gadget needed to explore virtually any location and monitor every activity.
This makes it an very pricey proposition, priced from £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 regular Fenix 8.
Users get a lot of features for your money, with industry-leading workout, activity and adventure tracking. The full offline maps of the globe can automatically guide you return to the trail if you get lost absent a phone, and look excellent on the sizable, sharp and super-bright touchscreen.
The Fenix 8 Pro is only offered in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, not the more compact 43mm version found in other devices, so it is a large watch for larger wrists. However the 47mm OLED version as tested does have an extra day of smartwatch battery life despite the screen on all the time, lasting a reliable eight to nine days between charges.
No-Phone Texting, Calls and Live Tracking
Garmin operates its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and orbital service service instead of depending on a watch plan linked to your phone provider, as with other smartwatches. However in contrast to competing satellite-capable products, SOS communication is not included for free.
Rather, plans start at £7.99 or equivalent a month, which provides unlimited LTE text and audio messages, calls and LiveTrack position sharing – so your friends or loved ones can keep an eye on you while engaged in running, cycling or similar pursuits – along with SOS orbital SOS alerts.
Check-ins and messages over orbital are then charged additionally, with more expensive subscriptions offering different quotas of satellite usage, increasing to a £50 a month unlimited subscription. The watch includes a 30-day trial period so you can test out the service.
After you have completed setup, you just venture the door minus your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You can not use it for streaming music or similar tasks, but you are able to make and take calls, send texts and generally stay connected with your relatives and friends.
When you message someone, Garmin sends them an SMS from a arbitrary phone number, which they can respond to directly to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger application, you can then communicate back and forth using typed or voice messages, and make voice calls. Your contact is not required to have a Garmin account to use the Messenger application, only a mobile number is enough to sign up for texts.
Messaging on the watch works fine but composing texts on the small on-screen keyboard is slow. It includes a collection of personalizable canned replies you can send to speed things up. Voice recordings and calls work OK, although as with the majority of smartwatches, you’re not going to wish to use it for extended conversations as the audio clarity is less than fantastic.
LiveTrack is the most useful feature. You can set it up to on its own transmit a link to chosen contacts whenever you begin an activity, so they can track your real time position on a map. It’s great for following race progress, but it mostly acts as a tool for someone you trust to know your location in case something happens. It has generally worked well, although the actual position has occasionally lagged when transitioning in and out of good LTE signal.
These capabilities are available on other Garmin watches if you carry your phone with you, but in areas where LTE lacks coverage, the satellite kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, position updates and emergency SOS.
A on-screen assistance shows you how to locate the line of sight to the satellite, which then sends and receives communications within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was surprisingly straightforward to use and could be a vital lifeline, though it is essential to remember that orbital coverage is restricted to the US mainland, most of Canada, and most of Europe excluding regions of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees latitude.
Sustainability
The watch is typically repairable with options offered through the customer service portal. The battery is rated to maintain at least 90% of its original capacity after two years of regular charging. The watch does not contain any reused materials. Garmin provides recycling programs on recent 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 cost from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Verdict
The Fenix 8 Pro builds on a excellent adventure watch in the regular Fenix 8 and adds LTE for texting, call functionality and LiveTrack – along with orbital communication, check-in and emergency SOS for when you’re without signal.
The result is an increasingly impressive adventure device for those that desire to be phone-free. If you wish to have someone monitor you from afar while exercising out at night or in the remote areas, the Garmin accomplishes this without needing anything else.
This is quite 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 service to enable the service. At least it isn’t dependent on your phone carrier so works with all make of smartphone and carrier.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier device for someone who dislikes being burdened by their phone when running, cycling or trekking, but nevertheless desires to be locatable and contactable. For everyone else, it is a significant money when the superb Fenix 8 already exists.
Advantages: LTE and satellite messaging, high-luminance OLED display, tracks all activities with best-in-class GPS, integrated torch, phone and offline commands, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, complete offline maps and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre underwater use, buttons and touch.
Cons: very expensive, LTE and orbital functions need ongoing payment, restricted Garmin Pay financial support, speech features are slow, basic smartwatch functionality compared with competing watches.
