The most recent version of Garmin's premium Fenix adventure timepiece introduces a potentially lifesaving feature: no-phone messaging and emergency alerts using 4G LTE or satellite links.
This Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the previously outstanding Fenix 8 by adding cutting-edge cellular tech, plus an available state-of-the-art microLED display in a special edition. This is the brand's top device and designed to be the single gadget required to venture virtually any location and monitor all your movements.
This makes it an very pricey option, priced from £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED model and reaching a substantial £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm edition with microLED display – almost twice the cost of the regular Fenix 8.
You do receive a significant functionality for your money, with industry-leading fitness, activity and adventure tracking. The full offline maps of the globe can automatically guide you return to the path if you lose your way without a phone, and look excellent on the large, crisp and high-luminance display.
The Fenix 8 Pro is only available in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, omitting the more compact 43mm size available in other devices, so it is a large watch for larger wrists. However 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 solid eight to nine days between charges.
No-Phone Messaging, Calling and Live Tracking
The company uses its own inReach LTE (4G) and orbital service plan rather than relying on a watch plan tied to your mobile provider, as with other wearables. But in contrast to Apple or Google's satellite-enabled devices, SOS communication is not provided for no cost.
Rather, subscriptions start at £7.99 or similar a month, which provides limitless LTE text and audio messages, calls and LiveTrack location sharing – so your friends or loved ones can monitor you while engaged in running, cycling or comparable activities – plus emergency orbital SOS messaging.
Check-ins and texts via satellite are then charged additionally, with more expensive plans offering different quotas of orbital use, increasing to a £50 a month all-inclusive plan. The watch comes with a 30-day trial period so you can evaluate the functionality.
Once you have completed setup, you just head out the door without your phone and the watch will link to LTE. You cannot use it for playing music or similar activities, but you are able to make and take calls, send texts and overall keep in touch with your relatives and friends.
Whenever you message someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a arbitrary number, which they can respond to directly to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger application, you can then message back and forth using text or spoken messages, and initiate voice calls. Your recipient is not required to have a Garmin account to use the Messenger app, only a phone number is sufficient to sign up for texts.
Texting on the watch functions fine but typing out texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It has a set of customisable pre-set replies you can use to speed things up. Spoken recordings and calls work OK, though as with most smartwatches, you’re not going to want to use it for lengthy discussions as the quality is less than fantastic.
LiveTrack is the most useful feature. You can set it up to automatically transmit a URL to selected contacts every time you start an exercise, so they can follow your real time location on a map. It’s great for following competition progress, but it mostly serves as a utility for someone you rely on to know your location in case an incident occurs. It has generally worked effectively, although the actual location has occasionally lagged when moving in and out of strong LTE signal.
These features are accessible on other Garmin devices if you carry your phone with you, but in areas where LTE does not reach, the satellite activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, position check-ins and SOS SOS.
A on-screen assistance displays you how to find the line of sight to the orbital system, which then sends and receives messages within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was surprisingly easy to use and could be a crucial safety feature, though it is essential to remember that satellite service is limited to the US continent, the majority of Canada, and the majority of Europe excluding parts of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees north.
Environmental Impact
The watch is typically repairable with options offered via the customer service portal. The battery is certified to retain at least 90% of its initial capacity after two years of regular charging. The watch lacks any reused components. Garmin provides recycling programs on recent purchases.
Cost
The Fenix 8 Pro costs 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).
Conclusion
The Fenix 8 Pro takes a excellent adventure watch in the standard Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for texting, call functionality and LiveTrack – plus orbital communication, check-in and emergency SOS for when you’re without coverage.
Outcome is an increasingly impressive outdoor device for those that desire to be phone-free. If you wish to have someone monitor you from afar while exercising after dark or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin does so without requiring additional gear.
It is quite liberating to be outside without a phone, but that functionality comes at quite a price, both in terms of the colossal price of the watch and the recurring subscription of the inReach service to provide the service. At least it isn’t reliant on your phone carrier so functions with all brand of smartphone and carrier.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier gadget for someone who dislikes being weighed down by their phone when running, biking or trekking, but nevertheless desires to be locatable and reachable. For everyone else, it is a lot of money when the excellent Fenix 8 is already available.
Advantages: LTE and orbital messaging, super-bright OLED screen, tracks everything with best-in-class GPS, built-in flashlight, phone and standalone commands, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, full offline maps and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre underwater use, buttons and touch.
Cons: very costly, LTE and orbital functions require monthly payment, restricted Garmin Pay financial support, speech features are slow, limited smartwatch functionality compared with Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
