The latest version of Garmin's premium Fenix outdoor timepiece introduces a life-saving feature: no-phone messaging and emergency messaging using 4G LTE or satellite connections.
This Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the already outstanding Fenix 8 by adding new cellular tech, along with an optional state-of-the-art microLED display in a special edition. This is the brand's top model and designed to be the single tool required to venture virtually anywhere and monitor every activity.
That positions it as an very pricey proposition, priced from £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 variant with microLED screen – almost twice the price of the regular Fenix 8.
Users receive a lot of features for your money, with best-in-class workout, activity and outdoor tracking. The complete offline maps of the world can seamlessly guide you return to the path if you get lost without a phone, and appear excellent on the sizable, crisp and high-luminance display.
This Fenix 8 Pro is only available in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, not the smaller 43mm version found in other models, so it is a big watch for bigger wrists. But the 47mm OLED version as tested boasts an additional day of watch battery life even with the display on all the time, lasting a reliable eight to nine days between charging.
Phone-Free Texting, Calling and Live Tracking
The company operates its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and satellite subscription service instead of depending on a watch plan linked to your mobile carrier, like other smartwatches. However unlike competing satellite-capable products, emergency messaging is not provided for free.
Rather, subscriptions begin from £7.99 or equivalent a month, which includes limitless LTE SMS and voice messages, call functionality and LiveTrack location sharing – so your friends or loved ones can keep an eye on you while engaged in jogging, cycling or comparable activities – along with SOS satellite SOS alerts.
Check-ins and texts over orbital are then billed on top, with higher-tier subscriptions offering different quotas of orbital usage, increasing to a £50 a month all-inclusive plan. The watch includes a 30-day trial period so you can evaluate the service.
Once you have got it set up, you just head out the door without your phone and the watch will link to LTE. You cannot use it for playing music or comparable activities, but you are able to make and take calls, dispatch texts and generally stay connected with your family and companions.
When you text someone, Garmin sends them an SMS from a random number, which they can respond to directly to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger app, you can then message back and forth via text or voice communications, and make voice calls. Your contact does not need a Garmin account to use the Messenger app, only 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 has a collection of personalizable pre-set responses you can use to expedite communication. Spoken messages and calls perform OK, although as with the majority of wearables, you’re not going to want to use it for lengthy conversations as the audio clarity is less than fantastic.
LiveTrack is the most useful function. You can configure to automatically transmit a link to selected contacts every time you start an activity, so they can follow your real time position on a map. It’s great for following race progress, but it primarily acts as a utility for someone you trust to be aware of your whereabouts in case something happens. It has typically worked well, though the actual location has sometimes lagged when moving in and out of good LTE signal.
All of these features are available on other Garmin watches if you carry your phone with you, but in areas where LTE lacks coverage, the orbital activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, position check-ins and emergency SOS.
A guide displays you how to locate the line of sight to the orbital system, which then sends and receives messages within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was unexpectedly easy to use and could be a crucial safety feature, however it is essential to remember that satellite coverage is limited to the US mainland, the majority of Canada, and the majority of Europe excluding parts of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees latitude.
Sustainability
The watch is typically serviceable with options offered through the support portal. The battery is certified to retain at least 90% of its initial capacity after two years of weekly charging. The watch lacks any recycled components. Garmin offers recycling 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 additional Garmin inReach service packages begin from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Verdict
This Fenix 8 Pro builds on a fantastic adventure watch in the regular Fenix 8 and adds LTE for texting, calls and LiveTrack – plus satellite communication, location update and emergency SOS for when you’re without coverage.
The result is an increasingly remarkable adventure tool for those that want to be unplugged. If you want to have someone keep an eye on you from afar while running out at night or in the remote areas, the Garmin does so without requiring additional gear.
It is very liberating to be outside without a phone, but that capability comes at a significant cost, both in terms of the substantial price of the watch and the monthly subscription of the inReach plan to enable the service. Fortunately it is not dependent on your phone carrier so works with all make of smartphone and network.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a killer gadget for someone who dislikes being weighed down by their phone when running, biking or hiking, but still desires to be locatable and reachable. For other users, it is a lot of expense when the excellent Fenix 8 is already available.
Advantages: LTE and orbital communication, super-bright OLED screen, tracks all activities with best-in-class GPS, built-in torch, voice and standalone commands, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, full offline maps and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre diving, physical controls and touchscreen.
Cons: extremely costly, LTE and satellite functions require monthly payment, limited Garmin Pay financial support, speech features are slow, basic smartwatch functionality versus Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
