This newest model of Garmin's premium Fenix adventure watch introduces a life-saving feature: phone-free communication and emergency alerts via 4G LTE or satellite connections.
This Fenix 8 Pro builds upon the already impressive Fenix 8 by adding cutting-edge mobile tech, along with an optional advanced microLED screen in a special edition. This is the brand's premier device and designed to be the only gadget required to venture almost any location and monitor every activity.
That makes it an extremely expensive option, starting at £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED model 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 get a significant functionality for your money, with best-in-class workout, movement and outdoor tracking. The full offline mapping of the world can automatically direct you back to the path if you get lost absent a phone, and look excellent on the sizable, crisp and high-luminance touchscreen.
The Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively available in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, not the smaller 43mm size found in other devices, so it is a large watch for bigger wrists. However the 47mm OLED version as reviewed boasts an extra day of smartwatch battery life even with the screen always active, enduring a reliable eight to nine days between charges.
No-Phone Messaging, Calling and Live Tracking
The company uses its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and orbital service service instead of relying on a watch plan linked to your phone provider, as with other wearables. However unlike competing satellite-enabled products, SOS messaging is not included for free.
Rather, plans start at £7.99 or equivalent a month, which provides limitless LTE text and audio messages, calls and LiveTrack location tracking – so your friends or loved ones can keep an eye on you while out jogging, biking or comparable pursuits – along with SOS orbital SOS alerts.
Location updates and messages via satellite are then billed on top, with higher-tier subscriptions including different allowances of orbital use, increasing to a £50 a month unlimited subscription. The watch comes with a 30-day trial period so you can evaluate the service.
Once you have completed setup, you simply head out outside minus your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You can not use it for playing music or similar activities, but you are able to make and take calls, dispatch texts and overall keep in touch with your family and friends.
When you message someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a arbitrary number, which they can reply to directly to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger application, you can then communicate reciprocally using typed or spoken messages, and make voice calls. Your recipient is not required to have a Garmin account to use the Messenger app, just a phone number is enough to sign up for texts.
Texting on the watch functions fine but composing texts on the small on-screen keyboard is slow. It includes a collection of personalizable pre-set responses you can send to speed things up. Spoken messages and calls perform OK, although as with the majority of smartwatches, you’re unlikely going to wish to use it for lengthy conversations as the quality is less than fantastic.
LiveTrack is the handiest function. You can configure to automatically send a URL to selected contacts every time you begin an activity, so they can track your live location on a map. It’s great for following race performance, but it primarily acts as a tool for someone you trust to know your whereabouts in case something happens. It has generally functioned effectively, although the actual position has sometimes been delayed when transitioning in and out of strong LTE coverage.
All of these capabilities are available on other Garmin watches if you bring your phone with you, but in areas where LTE lacks coverage, the orbital activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, location check-ins and emergency SOS.
A on-screen assistance displays you how to locate the clear view to the satellite, which then sends and receives messages within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was surprisingly easy to use and could be a crucial lifeline, however it is important to remember that orbital service is limited to the US continent, most of Canada, and most of Europe excluding parts of Scandinavia above 65 degrees north.
Environmental Impact
The watch is typically repairable with options offered through the customer service portal. The battery is rated to retain at least 90% of its original power after two years of regular charging. The watch does not contain any reused components. Garmin offers 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 optional Garmin inReach subscription packages cost from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Conclusion
This Fenix 8 Pro takes a fantastic outdoor watch in the standard Fenix 8 and adds LTE for messaging, call functionality and LiveTrack – along with orbital messaging, check-in and SOS SOS for when you’re out of coverage.
The result is an increasingly impressive outdoor device for those that desire to be phone-free. If you wish to have someone monitor you from afar while exercising out at night or in the remote areas, the Garmin does so without needing anything else.
This is very freeing to be outdoors without a phone, but that functionality comes at quite a cost, both in terms of the substantial price of the watch and the monthly subscription of the inReach plan to provide the features. At least it is not dependent on your phone carrier so works with all brand of smartphone and carrier.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier gadget for someone who dislikes being weighed down by their phone when running, cycling or hiking, but still desires to be trackable and reachable. For other users, it is a significant money when the excellent Fenix 8 already exists.
Pros: LTE and satellite communication, high-luminance OLED screen, tracks everything with premier GPS, built-in torch, voice and standalone voice control, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, full offline mapping and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre diving, buttons and touch.
Cons: extremely costly, LTE and satellite features need ongoing payment, restricted Garmin Pay financial support, voice capabilities are sluggish, limited wearable functionality compared with competing watches.
