The latest iteration of Garmin's flagship Fenix outdoor watch brings a life-saving capability: no-phone communication and emergency alerts using 4G LTE or satellite links.
This Fenix 8 Pro builds upon the already outstanding Fenix 8 by adding new mobile tech, plus an available state-of-the-art microLED display in a special edition. This is the brand's premier model and designed to be the only tool needed to venture virtually anywhere and monitor all your movements.
That makes it an extremely pricey proposition, priced from £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 screen – nearly twice the cost of the standard Fenix 8.
Users receive a lot of features for your money, with industry-leading fitness, movement and outdoor tracking. Its full offline maps of the globe can seamlessly guide you back to the trail if you lose your way absent a phone, and appear great on the large, crisp and high-luminance display.
The Fenix 8 Pro is only available in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, not the smaller 43mm size available in other models, so it is a large watch for bigger wrists. But the 47mm OLED version as reviewed boasts an additional day of smartwatch battery life despite the screen on all the time, lasting a solid eight to nine days between charges.
Phone-Free Messaging, Calls and Real-Time Location
The company uses its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and satellite subscription plan rather than relying on a watch plan tied to your mobile provider, like other smartwatches. But in contrast to competing satellite-enabled devices, SOS communication is not provided for no cost.
Rather, subscriptions begin from £7.99 or similar a month, which includes limitless LTE SMS and voice messages, call functionality and LiveTrack location sharing – so your contacts or loved ones can monitor you while engaged in running, cycling or comparable pursuits – plus emergency satellite SOS messaging.
Location updates and texts over orbital are then billed additionally, with higher-tier plans including various allowances of satellite use, climbing to a £50 a month unlimited subscription. The watch comes with a 30-day free trial so you can test out the service.
Once you have got it set up, you simply head out the door without your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You can not use it for streaming music or similar activities, but you can make and take calls, send texts and generally keep in touch with your family and friends.
When you text someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a arbitrary number, which they can reply to back to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger app, you can then communicate back and forth via text or spoken messages, and make voice calls. Your recipient does not need a Garmin account to use the Messenger application, just a mobile number is enough to sign up for texts.
Texting on the watch works adequately but typing out texts on the small on-screen keyboard is slow. It includes a collection of customisable canned replies you can send to speed things up. Voice messages and calls perform acceptably, although as with most smartwatches, you’re not going to wish to use it for lengthy discussions as the quality is less than fantastic.
LiveTrack is the handiest feature. You can configure to automatically send a link to selected contacts every time you begin an exercise, so they can track your live position on a map. It’s great for monitoring competition progress, but it primarily serves as a utility for someone you rely on to be aware of your whereabouts in case something happens. It has generally functioned well, though the real position has occasionally been delayed when moving in and out of strong LTE coverage.
All of these features are available on other Garmin devices if you bring your phone with you, but in areas where LTE lacks coverage, the satellite activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, position check-ins and SOS SOS.
A on-screen assistance displays you how to find the clear view 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 important to remember that orbital coverage is restricted to the US continent, most of Canada, and most of Europe except for regions of Scandinavia above 65 degrees north.
Sustainability
The watch is generally serviceable with options available through the support site. The battery is certified to retain at least 90% of its initial capacity after two years of regular charging. The watch lacks any reused components. Garmin offers recycling schemes on recent purchases.
Cost
This 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
This Fenix 8 Pro takes a fantastic adventure watch in the standard Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for messaging, call functionality and LiveTrack – plus orbital communication, check-in and SOS SOS for when you’re without signal.
The result is an even more impressive adventure device for those that desire to be phone-free. If you wish to have someone keep an eye on you from afar while running out at night or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin accomplishes this without requiring additional gear.
It is quite freeing to be outdoors without a phone, but that functionality carries quite a price, both in terms of the substantial cost of the watch and the recurring fee of the inReach service to provide the features. At least it is not reliant on your phone carrier so functions with any brand of smartphone and network.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier gadget for someone who dislikes being weighed down by their phone when running, biking or trekking, but nevertheless wants to be locatable and contactable. For everyone else, it is a significant expense when the superb Fenix 8 is already available.
Pros: LTE and orbital communication, high-luminance OLED screen, tracks everything with premier GPS, integrated flashlight, phone and standalone commands, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, full offline mapping and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre underwater use, buttons and touchscreen.
Cons: extremely expensive, LTE and orbital functions need ongoing payment, restricted Garmin Pay bank support, speech features are sluggish, basic smartwatch functionality versus Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
