The newest model of Garmin's top-tier Fenix outdoor timepiece brings a life-saving feature: phone-free messaging and emergency messaging using 4G LTE or satellite connections.
The Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the previously outstanding Fenix 8 by incorporating new cellular tech, plus an available advanced microLED screen in a limited edition. This is the brand's premier model and engineered to be the only tool required to venture virtually any location and track all your movements.
This makes it an very expensive proposition, starting at £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED version and reaching a substantial £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm variant with microLED display – almost twice the cost of the standard Fenix 8.
Users get a significant features for your investment, with best-in-class fitness, movement and outdoor tracking. Its complete offline mapping of the globe can seamlessly guide you back to the trail if you lose your way without a phone, and appear excellent on the large, crisp and super-bright touchscreen.
The Fenix 8 Pro is only available in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, not the smaller 43mm version found 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 display always active, enduring a reliable eight to nine days between charging.
Phone-Free Texting, Calls and Real-Time Location
Garmin uses its own inReach LTE (4G) and satellite subscription plan instead of relying on a watch plan tied to your mobile provider, like other smartwatches. However in contrast to Apple or Google's satellite-capable devices, emergency communication is not included for free.
Rather, plans begin from £7.99 or equivalent a month, which includes unlimited LTE text and voice messaging, call functionality and LiveTrack location sharing – so your contacts or family can monitor you while engaged in jogging, biking or similar pursuits – plus emergency orbital SOS messaging.
Location updates and texts over satellite are then charged additionally, with higher-tier plans offering various allowances of orbital use, climbing to a £50 a month all-inclusive plan. The watch comes with a 30-day free trial so you can evaluate the functionality.
Once you have got it set up, you simply venture the door without 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, dispatch texts and generally keep in touch with your relatives and companions.
Whenever you text someone, Garmin sends them an SMS from a random number, which they can reply to back to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger application, you can then message reciprocally via text or spoken messages, and make voice calls. Your recipient is not required to have a Garmin profile to use the Messenger application, only a phone number is enough to sign up for texts.
Messaging on the watch functions fine but composing texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It has a set of personalizable pre-set replies you can use to speed things up. Spoken messages and calls work OK, though as with the majority of smartwatches, you’re not going to want to use it for extended conversations as the quality is less than fantastic.
LiveTrack is the most useful function. You can set it up to automatically transmit a link to selected contacts whenever you start an activity, so they can follow your live location on a map. It’s excellent for monitoring race performance, but it primarily serves as a utility for someone you rely on to know your whereabouts in case an incident occurs. It has generally worked well, though the actual position has sometimes lagged when transitioning in and out of good LTE signal.
All of these features are accessible on other Garmin devices if you carry your phone with you, but in locations where LTE lacks coverage, the orbital kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, location updates and emergency SOS.
A guide displays you how to locate the clear view to the orbital system, which then transmits and gets communications within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was surprisingly straightforward to use and could be a vital lifeline, however it is essential to remember that satellite service is restricted to the US mainland, the majority of Canada, and the majority of Europe except for regions of Scandinavia above 65 degrees north.
Environmental Impact
The watch is generally repairable with options available through the support site. The battery is certified to maintain at least 90% of its original power after two years of weekly charging. The watch does not contain any reused materials. 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 subscription plans cost from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Conclusion
This Fenix 8 Pro builds on a fantastic outdoor watch in the standard Fenix 8 and adds LTE for texting, call functionality and LiveTrack – along with satellite communication, location update and emergency SOS for when you’re without signal.
Outcome is an increasingly impressive adventure device for those that want to be unplugged. If you want to have someone monitor you from afar while exercising out at night or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin accomplishes this without requiring additional gear.
It is very liberating to be outdoors without a phone, but that capability carries quite a cost, both in terms of the colossal cost of the watch and the recurring fee of the inReach service to provide the features. At least it isn’t reliant on your phone carrier so works with any brand of smartphone and carrier.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier device for someone who dislikes being weighed down by their phone when jogging, biking or hiking, but still wants to be trackable and reachable. For everyone else, it is a lot of expense when the superb Fenix 8 is already available.
Advantages: LTE and satellite communication, high-luminance OLED screen, tracks everything with best-in-class GPS, built-in torch, phone and standalone voice control, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, full offline mapping and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre underwater use, physical controls and touchscreen.
Drawbacks: very expensive, LTE and satellite features require ongoing subscription, limited Garmin Pay bank compatibility, voice capabilities are slow, limited wearable features versus competing watches.
