The newest model of Garmin's premium Fenix outdoor timepiece includes a potentially lifesaving feature: no-phone communication and emergency alerts via 4G LTE or orbital links.
The Fenix 8 Pro builds upon the already outstanding Fenix 8 by adding cutting-edge mobile tech, plus an available advanced microLED screen in a limited edition. This is Garmin's top device and engineered to be the only gadget needed to explore virtually any location and track every activity.
That makes it an very pricey proposition, starting at £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 – almost double the cost of the standard Fenix 8.
Users receive a significant features for your investment, with industry-leading fitness, movement and outdoor monitoring. The full offline mapping of the world can automatically direct you return to the path if you get lost absent a phone, and appear excellent on the sizable, crisp and super-bright display.
This Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively available in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, omitting the smaller 43mm version available in other models, so it is a large watch for bigger wrists. But the 47mm OLED version as tested boasts an extra day of smartwatch battery life despite the screen on all the time, enduring a solid eight to nine days between charging.
Phone-Free Messaging, Calling and Real-Time Location
The company operates its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and orbital subscription service rather than relying on a watch plan linked to your mobile provider, as with other wearables. But in contrast to competing satellite-enabled products, SOS messaging is not provided for free.
Rather, subscriptions begin from £7.99 or equivalent a month, which provides unlimited LTE text and audio messaging, call functionality and LiveTrack location tracking – so your contacts or loved ones can monitor you while engaged in jogging, biking or comparable activities – along with emergency satellite SOS alerts.
Check-ins and messages via orbital are then billed on top, with more expensive subscriptions offering different allowances of satellite use, increasing to a £50 a month unlimited subscription. The watch comes with a 30-day free trial so you can evaluate the functionality.
Once you have completed setup, you just head out the door minus your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You cannot use it for streaming music or comparable tasks, but you are able to make and take calls, dispatch texts and generally stay connected with your relatives and friends.
When you message someone, Garmin sends them an SMS from a arbitrary phone number, which they can reply to back to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger application, you can then message reciprocally via typed or voice communications, and initiate voice calls. Your contact is not required to have a Garmin profile to use the Messenger application, just a phone number is sufficient to register for texts.
Messaging on the watch functions fine but composing texts on the small on-screen keyboard is slow. It includes a collection of personalizable canned responses you can send to speed things up. Spoken recordings and calls perform OK, though as with the majority of wearables, you’re unlikely going to want to use it for lengthy conversations as the quality is less than fantastic.
LiveTrack is the handiest function. You can set it up to on its own transmit a link to chosen contacts whenever you start an exercise, so they can follow your real time location on a map. It’s great for following race progress, but it mostly serves as a utility for someone you trust to know your whereabouts in case something happens. It has generally functioned well, although the real location has occasionally lagged when moving in and out of good LTE coverage.
All of these features are available on other Garmin devices if you bring your phone with you, but in locations where LTE lacks coverage, the satellite kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, location check-ins and emergency SOS.
A on-screen assistance shows you how to find the clear view to the orbital system, which then transmits and gets messages within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was unexpectedly straightforward to use and could be a vital lifeline, though it is essential to note that orbital coverage is limited to the US continent, the majority of Canada, and most of Europe except for regions of Scandinavia above 65 degrees north.
Environmental Impact
The watch is generally repairable with services offered through the support portal. The battery is certified to retain at least 90% of its original capacity after two years of weekly charging. The watch does not contain any reused materials. Garmin provides recycling schemes on new purchases.
Cost
The Fenix 8 Pro is priced from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The optional Garmin inReach service plans begin from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Verdict
The Fenix 8 Pro takes a excellent adventure watch in the regular Fenix 8 and adds LTE for messaging, calls and LiveTrack – plus satellite messaging, check-in and emergency SOS for when you’re out of coverage.
Outcome is an increasingly impressive outdoor tool for those that desire to be phone-free. If you want to have someone monitor you remotely while running after dark or in the remote areas, the Garmin does so without needing anything else.
This is very liberating to be outdoors without a phone, but that capability carries quite a price, both in terms of the substantial price of the watch and the recurring fee of the inReach service to enable the service. Fortunately it is not reliant on your phone provider so works with all make of smartphone and network.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier gadget for someone who hates being burdened by their phone when running, biking or trekking, but nevertheless wants to be trackable and reachable. For everyone else, it is a lot of expense when the excellent Fenix 8 is already available.
Pros: LTE and satellite communication, super-bright OLED display, monitors all activities with premier GPS, built-in flashlight, phone and offline commands, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, complete offline maps and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre underwater use, buttons and touchscreen.
Drawbacks: very expensive, LTE and orbital features need ongoing payment, restricted Garmin Pay financial compatibility, speech features are slow, basic smartwatch functionality compared with Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
