The most recent model of the premium Fenix adventure timepiece brings a life-saving feature: phone-free communication and emergency messaging using 4G LTE or satellite links.
This Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the already outstanding Fenix 8 by adding new cellular technology, along with an available state-of-the-art microLED screen in a special edition. This is Garmin's premier device and designed to be the only gadget needed to venture almost any location and track all your movements.
That positions it as an very expensive proposition, starting at £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED version and climbing to a substantial £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm variant with microLED screen – nearly twice the cost of the regular Fenix 8.
You do get a lot of features for your investment, with industry-leading fitness, activity and adventure monitoring. Its full offline mapping of the globe can automatically direct you back to the trail if you get lost absent a phone, and look excellent on the sizable, crisp and super-bright display.
The Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively offered in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, omitting the smaller 43mm version available in other devices, so it is a big watch for larger wrists. However the 47mm OLED version as tested boasts an extra day of watch battery life even with the display always active, enduring a reliable eight to nine days between charging.
Phone-Free Texting, Calling and Live Tracking
Garmin uses its own inReach LTE (4G) and orbital service service rather than relying on a watch plan tied to your phone carrier, as with other smartwatches. However unlike Apple or Google's satellite-enabled devices, SOS communication is not provided for no cost.
Rather, plans start at £7.99 or similar a month, which includes limitless LTE SMS and voice messages, call functionality and LiveTrack position tracking – so your contacts or loved ones can monitor you while out running, biking or comparable activities – plus emergency orbital SOS alerts.
Check-ins and texts over orbital are then charged additionally, with more expensive plans offering different allowances of orbital use, increasing to a £50 a month all-inclusive subscription. The watch includes a 30-day trial period so you can evaluate the service.
After you have got it set up, you just venture outside minus your phone and the watch will link to LTE. You cannot use it for playing music or similar activities, but you are able to make and take calls, send texts and overall keep in touch with your relatives and companions.
When you message someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a random phone number, which they can reply to directly to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger application, you can then communicate reciprocally via typed or voice communications, and initiate voice calls. Your contact is not required to have a Garmin account to use the Messenger app, just a phone number is enough to sign up for texts.
Texting on the watch works fine but composing texts on the small on-screen keyboard is slow. It has a set of customisable pre-set responses you can send to expedite communication. Voice messages and calls perform OK, although as with the majority of smartwatches, you’re unlikely going to wish to use it for extended discussions as the quality is not ideal.
LiveTrack is the handiest feature. You can configure to on its own send a link to selected contacts every time you begin an exercise, so they can follow your real time position on a map. It’s excellent for monitoring competition progress, but it mostly acts as a tool for someone you trust to be aware of your location in case an incident occurs. It has typically worked effectively, although the actual position has occasionally been delayed when transitioning in and out of good LTE coverage.
All of these features are accessible on other Garmin devices 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, location updates and SOS SOS.
A on-screen assistance displays you how to find the clear view to the orbital system, which then transmits and gets communications within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was unexpectedly straightforward to use and could be a crucial safety feature, though it is important to remember that orbital coverage is limited to the US continent, the majority of Canada, and the majority of Europe except for regions of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees north.
Sustainability
The watch is generally repairable with options offered through the customer service portal. The battery is certified to retain at least 90% of its initial capacity after two years of weekly charging. The watch does not contain any reused components. Garmin provides recycling programs on new purchases.
Price
The Fenix 8 Pro is priced from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The additional Garmin inReach subscription plans cost from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Conclusion
The Fenix 8 Pro builds on a excellent outdoor watch in the standard Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for texting, call functionality and LiveTrack – along with satellite messaging, check-in and SOS SOS for when you’re without signal.
The result is an increasingly remarkable outdoor device for those that want to be unplugged. If you wish to have someone keep an eye on you remotely while exercising after dark or in the remote areas, the Garmin does so without needing anything else.
It is very freeing to be outdoors without a phone, but that functionality carries a significant cost, both in terms of the substantial cost of the watch and the monthly subscription of the inReach service to provide the features. At least it isn’t reliant on your phone carrier so functions with any brand of smartphone and carrier.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier gadget for someone who dislikes being burdened by their phone when running, cycling or trekking, but nevertheless wants to be trackable and contactable. For other users, it is a significant money when the superb Fenix 8 already exists.
Pros: LTE and orbital communication, super-bright OLED display, monitors all activities with best-in-class GPS, integrated torch, voice and offline commands, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, complete offline maps and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre underwater use, buttons and touchscreen.
Cons: extremely expensive, LTE and orbital features require monthly subscription, restricted Garmin Pay financial support, speech capabilities are sluggish, basic smartwatch functionality versus competing watches.
