This latest model of Garmin's top-tier Fenix outdoor timepiece brings a life-saving feature: no-phone communication and SOS messaging using 4G LTE or satellite links.
The Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the already outstanding Fenix 8 by incorporating new cellular tech, along with an available advanced microLED display in a special edition. It is Garmin's top model and engineered to be the single gadget required to venture virtually any location and track all your movements.
That makes it an extremely pricey option, 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 – nearly double the price of the regular Fenix 8.
Users receive a significant features for your investment, with best-in-class fitness, movement and adventure monitoring. Its complete offline mapping of the globe can seamlessly direct you back to the path if you lose your way absent a phone, and look excellent on the large, crisp and high-luminance display.
This Fenix 8 Pro is only available in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, not the more compact 43mm version available in other models, so it is a large watch for bigger wrists. But 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 charging.
Phone-Free Messaging, Calling and Live Tracking
The company uses its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and orbital subscription service instead of depending on a watch plan linked to your phone carrier, as with other wearables. However in contrast to competing satellite-capable devices, SOS communication is not provided for no cost.
Instead, plans start at £7.99 or similar a month, which provides limitless LTE SMS and voice messages, calls and LiveTrack position sharing – so your contacts or loved ones can keep an eye on you while engaged in running, biking or similar activities – along with emergency satellite SOS alerts.
Check-ins and messages via satellite are then charged on top, with higher-tier subscriptions offering various quotas of satellite usage, increasing to a £50 a month unlimited subscription. The watch comes with a 30-day free trial so you can test out the functionality.
After you have got it set up, you just venture outside without your phone and the watch will link to LTE. You cannot use it for streaming music or comparable tasks, but you can place and receive calls, dispatch texts and generally stay connected with your family and companions.
Whenever you message someone, Garmin sends them an SMS from a arbitrary number, which they can reply 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 make voice calls. Your recipient is not required to have a Garmin account to use the Messenger app, just a mobile number is sufficient to sign up for texts.
Messaging on the watch functions fine but typing out texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It has a set of customisable canned replies you can use to speed things up. Spoken recordings and calls work OK, though as with the majority of wearables, you’re unlikely going to want to use it for extended conversations as the quality is less than fantastic.
LiveTrack is the handiest function. You can set it up to on its own transmit a link to chosen contacts every time you start an exercise, so they can follow your real time location on a map. It’s excellent for monitoring race progress, but it mostly serves as a utility for someone you rely on to know your location in case something happens. It has typically functioned effectively, although the actual position has occasionally lagged when moving in and out of good 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 orbital kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, position updates and SOS SOS.
A guide displays you how to locate the clear view to the satellite, which then transmits and gets communications within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was surprisingly straightforward to use and could be a crucial safety feature, though it is essential to note that orbital service is restricted to the US continent, the majority of Canada, and most of Europe excluding parts of Scandinavia above 65 degrees latitude.
Sustainability
The watch is generally repairable with services offered through the support portal. The battery is certified to maintain at least 90% of its original capacity after two years of weekly charging. The watch does not contain any reused materials. Garmin provides disposal schemes on recent purchases.
Cost
The Fenix 8 Pro costs from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The additional Garmin inReach service plans begin from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Conclusion
The Fenix 8 Pro builds on a fantastic outdoor watch in the standard Fenix 8 and adds LTE for texting, calls and LiveTrack – along with satellite communication, location update and emergency SOS for when you’re out of coverage.
Outcome is an even more remarkable adventure tool for those that desire to be phone-free. If you wish to have someone monitor you remotely while running out at night or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin does so without requiring anything else.
It is very liberating to be outdoors without a phone, but that capability comes at a significant price, both in terms of the colossal price of the watch and the monthly subscription of the inReach plan to enable the service. Fortunately it isn’t reliant on your phone carrier so functions with any brand of smartphone and network.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier device for someone who dislikes being burdened by their phone when running, cycling or hiking, but nevertheless desires to be locatable and reachable. For other users, it is a significant expense when the superb Fenix 8 is already available.
Advantages: LTE and orbital communication, high-luminance OLED display, monitors all activities with premier GPS, integrated torch, voice and standalone voice control, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, full offline mapping and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre diving, buttons and touch.
Drawbacks: extremely costly, LTE and satellite functions require ongoing subscription, limited Garmin Pay financial support, speech capabilities are slow, limited smartwatch functionality compared with Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
