The newest model of Garmin's premium Fenix adventure watch introduces a life-saving capability: no-phone messaging and emergency alerts via 4G LTE or satellite links.
The Fenix 8 Pro enhances the previously outstanding Fenix 8 by incorporating cutting-edge mobile tech, plus an available advanced microLED screen in a special edition. This is the brand's top model and engineered to be the single tool needed to venture virtually any location and track all your movements.
This makes it an extremely pricey proposition, priced from £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED model and reaching a substantial £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm variant with microLED screen – nearly twice the cost of the standard Fenix 8.
You do receive a lot of functionality for your investment, with best-in-class fitness, movement and outdoor tracking. Its full offline maps of the globe can automatically direct you back to the trail if you lose your way absent a phone, and look great on the large, crisp and high-luminance display.
The Fenix 8 Pro is only offered in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, omitting the smaller 43mm version found in other devices, so it is a large watch for bigger wrists. However the 47mm OLED version as tested does have an extra day of watch battery life despite the screen on all the time, enduring a reliable eight to nine days between charges.
Phone-Free Messaging, Calling and Real-Time Location
Garmin operates its own inReach LTE (4G) and orbital service service rather than depending on a watch plan tied to your phone provider, as with other smartwatches. However in contrast to competing satellite-capable products, emergency communication is not provided for no cost.
Rather, plans begin from £7.99 or similar a month, which includes unlimited LTE SMS and voice messages, calls and LiveTrack location sharing – so your friends or family can keep an eye on you while out jogging, biking or comparable activities – along with SOS satellite SOS alerts.
Location updates and texts over orbital are then charged on top, with more expensive subscriptions offering different quotas of satellite use, increasing to a £50 a month all-inclusive subscription. The watch comes with a 30-day trial period so you can evaluate the functionality.
Once you have completed setup, you simply venture the door minus your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You cannot use it for streaming music or similar activities, but you can place and receive calls, dispatch texts and overall keep in touch with your family and friends.
When you text someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a random number, which they can reply to back to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger application, you can then communicate back and forth via text or spoken communications, and make voice calls. Your contact does not need a Garmin account to use the Messenger app, only a mobile number is enough to sign up for texts.
Texting on the watch works adequately but typing out texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is slow. It includes a collection of personalizable pre-set replies you can send to speed things up. Voice messages and calls perform OK, although as with the majority of wearables, you’re not going to wish to use it for lengthy discussions as the quality is less than ideal.
LiveTrack is the most useful feature. You can configure to on its own transmit a URL to chosen contacts every time you start an activity, so they can track your live location on a map. It’s excellent for monitoring race performance, but it mostly serves as a utility for someone you rely on to know your location in case an incident occurs. It has typically functioned well, although the actual location has occasionally lagged when transitioning in and out of strong LTE coverage.
These capabilities are accessible on other Garmin watches if you bring your phone with you, but in locations where LTE does not reach, the satellite activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, position check-ins and SOS SOS.
A guide displays you how to find the line of sight to the orbital system, which then sends and receives messages within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was surprisingly easy to use and could be a crucial safety feature, however it is important to note that satellite service is restricted to the US mainland, most of Canada, and most of Europe excluding parts of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees north.
Sustainability
The watch is typically repairable with services offered via the support portal. The battery is certified to maintain at least 90% of its original capacity after two years of regular charging. The watch does not contain any recycled components. Garmin provides disposal programs on new purchases.
Cost
This 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).
Verdict
This Fenix 8 Pro takes a fantastic adventure watch in the standard Fenix 8 and adds LTE for messaging, calls and LiveTrack – along with orbital communication, location update and emergency SOS for when you’re without signal.
The result is an even more remarkable outdoor tool for those that desire to be phone-free. If you want to have someone keep an eye on you remotely while exercising after dark or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin accomplishes this without requiring anything else.
This is very freeing to be outside without a phone, but that functionality comes at quite a price, both in terms of the substantial cost of the watch and the recurring subscription of the inReach plan to enable the features. Fortunately it is not reliant on your phone provider so works with all brand of smartphone and carrier.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a killer device for someone who hates being weighed down by their phone when running, biking or hiking, but still desires to be trackable and reachable. For other users, it is a lot of expense when the superb Fenix 8 is already available.
Pros: LTE and satellite communication, super-bright OLED display, tracks everything with premier GPS, built-in torch, voice and standalone voice control, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, complete offline maps and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre underwater use, buttons and touch.
Drawbacks: very costly, LTE and satellite features need monthly payment, restricted Garmin Pay bank compatibility, voice features are slow, basic smartwatch functionality compared with competing watches.
