The newest version of Garmin's top-tier Fenix outdoor timepiece includes a potentially lifesaving feature: no-phone messaging and emergency alerts using 4G LTE or orbital connections.
This Fenix 8 Pro enhances the previously outstanding Fenix 8 by adding cutting-edge mobile tech, along with an optional advanced microLED screen in a special edition. This is Garmin's premier model and engineered to be the only gadget required to explore almost anywhere and monitor 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 climbing to a substantial £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm edition with microLED screen – almost twice the cost of the regular Fenix 8.
Users receive a lot of functionality for your money, with industry-leading workout, movement and outdoor monitoring. Its full offline maps of the globe can seamlessly direct you return to the trail if you get lost without a phone, and appear great on the large, sharp and super-bright display.
The Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively available in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, omitting the more compact 43mm size found in other models, so it is a large watch for bigger wrists. However the 47mm OLED model as reviewed does have an extra day of watch battery life even with the display on all the time, lasting a solid eight to nine days between charging.
Phone-Free Texting, Calls and Real-Time Location
The company operates its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and satellite subscription plan instead of relying on a watch plan linked to your mobile carrier, like other wearables. But unlike Apple or Google's satellite-enabled products, emergency messaging is not provided for no cost.
Rather, subscriptions start at £7.99 or equivalent a month, which includes limitless LTE text and voice messages, calls and LiveTrack position sharing – so your contacts or family can monitor you while engaged in jogging, biking or comparable activities – plus emergency satellite SOS messaging.
Check-ins and messages via satellite are then charged additionally, with higher-tier plans offering various quotas of satellite usage, increasing to a £50 a month unlimited plan. The watch includes a 30-day trial period so you can evaluate the functionality.
Once you have completed setup, you just venture the door without your phone and the watch will link to LTE. You can not use it for playing music or similar tasks, but you can make and take calls, send texts and overall keep in touch with your relatives and friends.
Whenever you text someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a arbitrary phone number, which they can respond to back to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger application, you can then message back and forth via typed or voice communications, and initiate voice calls. Your contact does not need a Garmin account to use the Messenger app, only a phone number is sufficient to sign up for texts.
Messaging on the watch works fine but typing out texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It includes a set of customisable pre-set replies you can send to expedite communication. Spoken messages and calls work OK, although as with the majority of wearables, you’re not going to wish to use it for extended conversations as the quality is less than ideal.
LiveTrack is the handiest feature. You can configure to on its own send a URL to chosen contacts every time you start an exercise, so they can follow your real time location on a map. It’s excellent for following competition progress, but it primarily acts as a tool for someone you rely on to know your location in case an incident occurs. It has typically functioned effectively, though the real position has sometimes lagged when moving in and out of strong LTE coverage.
These capabilities are available on other Garmin watches if you bring your phone with you, but in locations where LTE does not reach, the orbital activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, position updates and emergency SOS.
A guide shows you how to locate the line of sight to the satellite, which then transmits and gets messages within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was unexpectedly straightforward to use and could be a crucial safety feature, though it is essential to remember that orbital service is limited to the US continent, most of Canada, and most of Europe excluding regions of Scandinavia above 65 degrees north.
Environmental Impact
The watch is generally serviceable with options offered via the customer service portal. The battery is certified to retain at least 90% of its initial power after two years of regular charging. The watch does not contain any recycled components. Garmin offers disposal schemes on recent purchases.
Price
This Fenix 8 Pro is priced from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The additional Garmin inReach subscription packages cost from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Verdict
This Fenix 8 Pro takes a excellent outdoor watch in the regular Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for messaging, call functionality and LiveTrack – plus orbital messaging, check-in and SOS SOS for when you’re out of signal.
The result is an even more impressive adventure tool for those that want to be phone-free. If you want to have someone keep an eye on you from afar while running after dark or in the remote areas, the Garmin does so without requiring additional gear.
This is quite liberating to be outdoors without a phone, but that capability comes at quite a price, both in terms of the colossal cost of the watch and the monthly subscription of the inReach plan to enable the service. At least it isn’t dependent on your phone provider so works with all brand of smartphone and carrier.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a killer gadget for someone who hates being weighed down by their phone when jogging, cycling or hiking, but still desires to be trackable and contactable. For everyone else, it is a significant money when the excellent Fenix 8 already exists.
Pros: LTE and orbital communication, high-luminance OLED screen, monitors everything with premier GPS, integrated flashlight, phone and standalone commands, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, complete offline mapping and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre diving, physical controls and touchscreen.
Cons: extremely expensive, LTE and orbital functions need ongoing payment, restricted Garmin Pay bank compatibility, speech features are slow, limited smartwatch features compared with competing watches.
