The newest iteration of Garmin's flagship Fenix adventure watch brings a potentially lifesaving capability: phone-free messaging and emergency alerts via 4G LTE or orbital connections.
This Fenix 8 Pro enhances the already outstanding Fenix 8 by adding cutting-edge cellular technology, along with an optional state-of-the-art microLED display in a special edition. This is the brand's premier model and designed to be the only gadget required to venture virtually anywhere and monitor all your movements.
That makes it an extremely expensive option, 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 edition with microLED display – almost twice the cost of the regular Fenix 8.
Users get a significant functionality for your money, with industry-leading fitness, movement and adventure tracking. Its complete offline maps of the world can seamlessly direct you return to the path if you lose your way absent a phone, and look great on the large, crisp and high-luminance display.
This Fenix 8 Pro is only offered in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, not the more compact 43mm size found in other models, so it is a big watch for bigger wrists. But the 47mm OLED model as tested does have an additional day of smartwatch battery life even with the screen on all the time, enduring a reliable eight to nine days between charges.
Phone-Free Texting, Calling and Live Tracking
Garmin uses its own inReach LTE (4G) and satellite subscription service instead of relying on a watch plan linked to your phone carrier, like other wearables. However in contrast to Apple or Google's satellite-capable products, emergency communication is not included for no cost.
Instead, plans start at £7.99 or similar a month, which includes limitless LTE SMS and audio messages, call functionality and LiveTrack location tracking – so your friends or family can monitor you while out jogging, cycling or comparable activities – along with SOS orbital SOS alerts.
Check-ins and texts over satellite are then billed additionally, with higher-tier subscriptions offering different allowances of orbital usage, climbing to a £50 a month unlimited subscription. The watch includes a 30-day free trial so you can evaluate the service.
After you have got it set up, you just head out the door minus your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You cannot use it for playing music or comparable activities, but you are able to make and take calls, dispatch texts and overall stay connected with your relatives and friends.
Whenever you text someone, Garmin sends them an SMS from a arbitrary phone number, which they can respond to directly to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger app, you can then message reciprocally using typed or spoken messages, and initiate voice calls. Your recipient does not need a Garmin account to use the Messenger app, only a phone number is enough to register for texts.
Texting on the watch works fine but typing out texts on the small on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It includes a collection of personalizable canned responses you can use to expedite communication. Spoken recordings and calls work OK, though as with the majority of wearables, you’re not going to want to use it for extended 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 selected contacts every time you start an exercise, so they can follow your live location on a map. It’s excellent for monitoring race progress, but it primarily serves as a utility for someone you trust to know your location in case an incident occurs. It has typically functioned effectively, though the real position has sometimes lagged when transitioning in and out of good LTE coverage.
All of these capabilities are available on other Garmin watches if you carry your phone with you, but in locations where LTE lacks coverage, the satellite kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, position updates and SOS SOS.
A on-screen assistance 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 unexpectedly easy to use and could be a vital safety feature, though it is important to remember that satellite coverage is restricted to the US continent, the majority of Canada, and the majority of Europe excluding regions of Scandinavia above 65 degrees latitude.
Sustainability
The watch is typically repairable with options available via the customer service site. The battery is certified to maintain at least 90% of its original power after two years of weekly charging. The watch does not contain any recycled materials. Garmin offers recycling schemes on recent purchases.
Cost
The Fenix 8 Pro is priced from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The additional Garmin inReach service packages cost from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Conclusion
This Fenix 8 Pro takes a excellent adventure watch in the regular Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for texting, calls and LiveTrack – plus orbital messaging, location update and emergency SOS for when you’re out of signal.
The result is an even more remarkable outdoor tool for those that desire to be unplugged. If you wish to have someone monitor you from afar while exercising after dark or in the remote areas, the Garmin accomplishes this without needing anything else.
It is very freeing to be outdoors without a phone, but that capability carries quite a cost, both in terms of the colossal cost of the watch and the recurring subscription of the inReach service to enable the service. Fortunately it is not dependent on your phone carrier so functions with all brand of smartphone and network.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier gadget for someone who hates being weighed down by their phone when jogging, cycling or hiking, but still desires to be locatable and contactable. For everyone else, it is a significant expense when the superb Fenix 8 already exists.
Pros: LTE and satellite messaging, super-bright OLED display, tracks all activities with premier GPS, integrated torch, voice and standalone commands, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, full offline maps and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre underwater use, buttons and touchscreen.
Drawbacks: extremely expensive, LTE and satellite features need ongoing subscription, limited Garmin Pay bank compatibility, speech features are slow, limited smartwatch functionality versus competing watches.
