This most recent iteration of Garmin's flagship Fenix outdoor timepiece brings a potentially lifesaving feature: no-phone communication and SOS messaging using 4G LTE or satellite connections.
This Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the already impressive Fenix 8 by incorporating new mobile tech, plus an optional state-of-the-art microLED screen in a special edition. This is Garmin's top device and designed to be the only tool needed to venture virtually anywhere and monitor all your movements.
This 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 variant with microLED display – almost double the cost of the regular Fenix 8.
Users get a significant features for your money, with industry-leading fitness, activity and outdoor monitoring. Its full offline maps of the world can automatically guide you back to the trail if you lose your way without a phone, and look great on the large, crisp and super-bright touchscreen.
This Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively available in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, not the smaller 43mm size found in other devices, so it is a large watch for bigger wrists. However the 47mm OLED version as tested does have an additional day of smartwatch battery life even with the screen on all the time, lasting a reliable eight to nine days between charges.
No-Phone Messaging, Calling and Real-Time Location
The company operates its own inReach LTE (4G) and satellite service service instead of relying on a watch plan linked to your mobile carrier, as with other wearables. However in contrast to competing satellite-capable devices, emergency messaging is not provided for no cost.
Rather, subscriptions begin from £7.99 or similar a month, which includes unlimited LTE text and audio messaging, calls and LiveTrack position sharing – so your contacts or family can monitor you while engaged in jogging, biking or similar pursuits – along with SOS orbital SOS alerts.
Location updates and messages over orbital are then billed additionally, with more expensive plans offering various allowances of orbital usage, increasing to a £50 a month all-inclusive subscription. The watch comes with a 30-day free trial so you can test out the service.
After you have completed setup, you just 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, send texts and generally keep in touch with your family and companions.
When you text someone, Garmin sends them an SMS from a random phone number, which they can reply to directly to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger application, you can then message back and forth via text or spoken messages, and initiate voice calls. Your recipient is not required to have a Garmin profile to use the Messenger app, only a phone number is sufficient to register for texts.
Messaging on the watch works adequately but typing out texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is slow. It has a collection of personalizable canned responses you can use to speed things up. Spoken messages and calls perform acceptably, though as with the majority of smartwatches, you’re unlikely going to wish to use it for extended conversations as the audio clarity is not fantastic.
LiveTrack is the handiest feature. You can configure to automatically send a URL to chosen contacts every time you begin an exercise, so they can track your live location on a map. It’s great for monitoring competition progress, but it mostly serves as a tool for someone you trust to know your location in case an incident occurs. It has generally worked well, although the real position has occasionally lagged when moving in and out of strong LTE coverage.
All of these features are available on other Garmin watches if you carry your phone with you, but in areas where LTE lacks coverage, the satellite activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, position updates and emergency SOS.
A on-screen assistance shows you how to find 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 vital lifeline, however it is essential to note that orbital coverage is limited to the US continent, most of Canada, and most of Europe except for parts of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees north.
Environmental Impact
The watch is generally serviceable with options available through the customer service site. The battery is rated to retain at least 90% of its original capacity after two years of regular charging. The watch does not contain any reused materials. Garmin offers disposal programs on recent purchases.
Cost
This Fenix 8 Pro is priced from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The optional Garmin inReach service packages cost from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Conclusion
The Fenix 8 Pro builds on a excellent adventure watch in the standard Fenix 8 and adds LTE for messaging, call functionality and LiveTrack – along with orbital communication, check-in and emergency SOS for when you’re out of coverage.
Outcome is an increasingly impressive outdoor tool for those that want to be unplugged. If you want to have someone keep an eye on you remotely while exercising after dark or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin does so without needing anything else.
It is very liberating to be outdoors without a phone, but that capability carries quite a price, both in terms of the colossal cost of the watch and the monthly fee of the inReach plan to enable the service. At least it is not dependent on your phone provider so works with all make of smartphone and network.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a killer device for someone who dislikes being burdened by their phone when jogging, biking or trekking, but still wants to be locatable and contactable. For everyone else, it is a significant expense when the excellent Fenix 8 already exists.
Pros: LTE and satellite communication, high-luminance OLED display, monitors everything with best-in-class GPS, built-in torch, phone and standalone commands, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, full offline mapping and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre underwater use, buttons and touchscreen.
Drawbacks: extremely costly, LTE and satellite features need monthly subscription, restricted Garmin Pay bank compatibility, voice capabilities are sluggish, basic smartwatch features versus competing watches.
