This most recent version of Garmin's top-tier Fenix outdoor watch introduces a potentially lifesaving feature: phone-free messaging and SOS messaging using 4G LTE or orbital links.
This Fenix 8 Pro builds upon the previously impressive Fenix 8 by incorporating cutting-edge mobile tech, along with an optional advanced microLED screen in a limited edition. It is Garmin's premier model and engineered to be the single gadget needed to venture almost any location and monitor all your movements.
That makes it an extremely expensive proposition, starting at £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 display – nearly twice the cost of the standard Fenix 8.
Users get a significant features for your investment, with industry-leading fitness, movement and adventure monitoring. Its complete offline mapping of the world can automatically guide you back to the trail if you get lost absent a phone, and appear excellent on the large, crisp and super-bright touchscreen.
The Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively available in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, omitting the more compact 43mm version found in other models, so it is a big watch for bigger wrists. But the 47mm OLED version as reviewed boasts an extra day of smartwatch battery life even with the screen on all the time, enduring a solid eight to nine days between charges.
No-Phone Texting, Calls and Live Tracking
The company operates its own inReach LTE (4G) and orbital service service instead of depending on a watch plan linked to your phone carrier, as with other wearables. But unlike competing satellite-capable devices, emergency communication is not included for no cost.
Instead, subscriptions begin from £7.99 or equivalent a month, which includes limitless LTE SMS and voice messaging, calls and LiveTrack position tracking – so your contacts or loved ones can monitor you while out running, biking or comparable activities – along with emergency satellite SOS alerts.
Location updates and messages via satellite are then charged on top, with higher-tier subscriptions including various allowances of satellite usage, climbing to a £50 a month all-inclusive plan. The watch comes with a 30-day trial period so you can test out the service.
Once you have completed setup, you simply head out outside minus your phone and the watch will link to LTE. You can not use it for playing music or similar activities, but you are able to place and receive calls, send texts and overall stay connected with your family and companions.
Whenever you message someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a arbitrary number, which they can reply to back to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger app, you can then communicate back and forth via text or spoken communications, and initiate voice calls. Your recipient does not need a Garmin account to use the Messenger app, only a phone number is enough to register for texts.
Texting on the watch works adequately but composing texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It includes a collection of customisable pre-set replies you can send to speed things up. Spoken recordings and calls perform acceptably, although as with most smartwatches, you’re unlikely going to want to use it for lengthy conversations as the audio clarity is not fantastic.
LiveTrack is the most useful feature. You can configure to on its own send a URL to selected contacts whenever you begin an activity, so they can track your real time position on a map. It’s great for monitoring competition performance, but it primarily acts as a tool for someone you trust to be aware of your whereabouts in case an incident occurs. It has typically functioned effectively, although the actual position has occasionally lagged when transitioning in and out of good LTE signal.
These capabilities are available on other Garmin devices if you carry your phone with you, but in locations where LTE lacks coverage, the orbital activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, position check-ins and SOS SOS.
A guide displays you how to find the clear view to the orbital system, which then sends and receives communications within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was surprisingly easy to use and could be a vital safety feature, however it is essential to remember that orbital coverage is restricted to the US continent, most of Canada, and most of Europe excluding parts of Scandinavia above 65 degrees latitude.
Sustainability
The watch is generally serviceable with options available via the support site. The battery is certified to maintain at least 90% of its original capacity after two years of regular charging. The watch does not contain any recycled materials. Garmin provides disposal schemes on new purchases.
Price
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).
Conclusion
The Fenix 8 Pro builds on a excellent outdoor watch in the standard Fenix 8 and incorporates 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 outdoor device for those that want to be phone-free. If you wish to have someone monitor you remotely while exercising out at night or in the remote areas, the Garmin accomplishes this without needing anything else.
It is very freeing to be outdoors without a phone, but that functionality comes at a significant price, both in terms of the colossal cost of the watch and the recurring fee of the inReach plan to enable the features. Fortunately it is not reliant on your phone provider so functions with any brand of smartphone and network.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a killer gadget for someone who dislikes being weighed down 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 is already available.
Pros: LTE and orbital communication, super-bright OLED screen, tracks everything with best-in-class GPS, built-in flashlight, phone and standalone voice control, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, full offline mapping and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre underwater use, physical controls and touchscreen.
Drawbacks: extremely costly, LTE and orbital functions need monthly payment, restricted Garmin Pay financial compatibility, voice capabilities are sluggish, limited smartwatch functionality compared with Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
