This most recent model of Garmin's premium Fenix adventure watch brings a life-saving capability: no-phone messaging and emergency alerts using 4G LTE or orbital links.
The Fenix 8 Pro enhances the previously impressive Fenix 8 by adding new cellular technology, plus an optional advanced microLED display in a special edition. This is the brand's top model and designed to be the single tool required to explore almost any location and monitor all your movements.
This makes it an extremely expensive 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 edition with microLED display – nearly twice the cost of the regular Fenix 8.
You do get a significant functionality for your investment, with best-in-class workout, activity and adventure tracking. Its complete offline mapping of the globe can seamlessly direct you back to the path if you get lost without a phone, and look great on the sizable, sharp and super-bright display.
The Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively available in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, not the smaller 43mm version found in other devices, so it is a large watch for bigger wrists. However the 47mm OLED model as tested boasts an extra day of watch battery life despite the display always active, lasting a solid eight to nine days between charging.
Phone-Free Texting, Calls and Real-Time Location
Garmin operates its own inReach LTE (4G) and orbital service service instead of depending on a watch plan tied to your phone provider, like other wearables. But in contrast to Apple or Google's satellite-enabled devices, emergency messaging is not included for free.
Instead, plans begin from £7.99 or equivalent a month, which provides limitless LTE SMS and audio messaging, calls and LiveTrack location tracking – so your friends or loved ones can monitor you while out jogging, biking or comparable activities – plus SOS orbital SOS alerts.
Location updates and messages via satellite are then billed on top, with higher-tier subscriptions including different quotas of satellite use, increasing to a £50 a month all-inclusive subscription. The watch includes a 30-day trial period so you can test out the service.
Once you have got it set up, you simply venture the door minus your phone and the watch will link to LTE. You can not use it for streaming music or comparable activities, but you are able to place and receive calls, dispatch texts and overall stay connected with your relatives and companions.
When you text someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a random phone 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 typed or voice communications, and make voice calls. Your recipient is not required to have a Garmin profile to use the Messenger app, only a phone number is enough to register for texts.
Messaging on the watch works adequately but typing out texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It has a set of customisable canned replies you can send to expedite communication. Voice recordings and calls perform OK, although as with most wearables, you’re unlikely going to want to use it for lengthy discussions as the quality is not ideal.
LiveTrack is the handiest feature. You can set it up to automatically send a link to chosen contacts whenever you start an activity, so they can follow your real time position on a map. It’s excellent for monitoring competition performance, but it mostly serves as a utility for someone you rely on to know your whereabouts in case something happens. It has typically functioned well, though the real location has sometimes lagged when transitioning in and out of good LTE coverage.
These capabilities are accessible on other Garmin devices if you bring your phone with you, but in locations where LTE does not reach, the orbital activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, position check-ins and SOS SOS.
A on-screen assistance shows you how to find the line of sight to the satellite, which then sends and receives communications within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was surprisingly easy to use and could be a vital safety feature, though it is important to note that satellite coverage is restricted to the US continent, the majority of Canada, and the majority of Europe excluding parts of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees north.
Environmental Impact
The watch is generally repairable with services available via the customer service site. The battery is certified 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 costs from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The optional Garmin inReach subscription packages begin from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Conclusion
The Fenix 8 Pro builds on a fantastic adventure watch in the regular Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for messaging, calls and LiveTrack – along with satellite communication, location update and SOS SOS for when you’re without signal.
The result is an increasingly remarkable adventure tool for those that want to be unplugged. If you want to have someone keep an eye on you remotely while exercising out at night or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin accomplishes this without needing anything else.
It is quite freeing to be outside without a phone, but that functionality comes at quite a price, both in terms of the colossal price of the watch and the recurring subscription of the inReach plan to enable the features. Fortunately it isn’t reliant on your phone provider so works with any brand of smartphone and network.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier gadget for someone who dislikes being burdened by their phone when jogging, biking or trekking, but nevertheless desires to be trackable and reachable. For everyone else, it is a significant money when the superb Fenix 8 is already available.
Advantages: LTE and orbital communication, super-bright OLED screen, monitors everything with premier GPS, built-in flashlight, phone and standalone voice control, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, full offline maps and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre diving, physical controls and touchscreen.
Drawbacks: very costly, LTE and satellite functions need ongoing payment, restricted Garmin Pay bank compatibility, speech features are slow, limited smartwatch functionality versus competing watches.
