The most recent iteration of Garmin's top-tier Fenix adventure timepiece includes a potentially lifesaving capability: no-phone communication and emergency alerts using 4G LTE or satellite connections.
This Fenix 8 Pro enhances the already impressive Fenix 8 by incorporating cutting-edge mobile technology, along with an available advanced microLED screen in a special edition. It is Garmin's top device and engineered to be the only gadget required to explore virtually any location and monitor all your movements.
That makes it an very pricey option, starting at £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED version and reaching a substantial £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm edition with microLED screen – nearly double the price of the regular Fenix 8.
Users get a significant features for your money, with best-in-class workout, movement and adventure tracking. Its full offline mapping of the world can automatically direct you back to the trail if you lose your way absent a phone, and look excellent on the large, crisp and high-luminance touchscreen.
This Fenix 8 Pro is only available in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, not the more compact 43mm size found in other devices, so it is a large watch for bigger wrists. However the 47mm OLED model as tested boasts an additional day of smartwatch battery life even with the screen always active, enduring a solid eight to nine days between charging.
No-Phone Texting, Calls and Real-Time Location
The company uses its own inReach LTE (4G) and satellite service plan rather than depending on a watch plan linked to your phone carrier, like other wearables. However unlike Apple or Google's satellite-capable products, emergency messaging is not provided for free.
Instead, plans start at £7.99 or similar a month, which includes unlimited LTE text and voice messaging, call functionality and LiveTrack location tracking – so your friends or family can monitor you while engaged in running, cycling or comparable activities – along with SOS orbital SOS messaging.
Location updates and messages over satellite are then charged additionally, with more expensive subscriptions offering different quotas of satellite usage, increasing to a £50 a month all-inclusive plan. The watch comes with a 30-day trial period so you can evaluate the functionality.
Once you have got it set up, you simply venture outside 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 place and receive calls, dispatch texts and overall keep in touch with your relatives and companions.
Whenever you message someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a arbitrary number, which they can respond to back to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger application, you can then message reciprocally via typed or spoken messages, and make voice calls. Your contact is not required to have a Garmin account to use the Messenger application, just a mobile number is sufficient to sign up 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 pre-set responses you can send to expedite communication. Spoken recordings and calls work OK, although as with most wearables, you’re unlikely going to want to use it for lengthy discussions as the audio clarity is not ideal.
LiveTrack is the handiest feature. You can configure to automatically transmit a link to selected contacts whenever you start an activity, so they can follow your live location on a map. It’s excellent for following race performance, but it mostly acts as a tool for someone you trust to know your whereabouts in case an incident occurs. It has typically worked well, though the actual position has sometimes lagged when transitioning in and out of strong LTE coverage.
All of these capabilities are available on other Garmin devices if you carry your phone with you, but in locations where LTE does not reach, the orbital activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, location check-ins and emergency SOS.
A guide displays you how to find the line of sight to the satellite, which then transmits and gets messages within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was surprisingly straightforward to use and could be a vital safety feature, though it is important to note that orbital coverage is restricted to the US continent, most of Canada, and most of Europe except for regions of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees north.
Sustainability
The watch is generally serviceable with options available via the customer service portal. The battery is certified to retain at least 90% of its original capacity after two years of weekly charging. The watch lacks any reused components. Garmin offers disposal programs on recent purchases.
Price
The Fenix 8 Pro costs from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The optional Garmin inReach service packages cost from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Conclusion
This Fenix 8 Pro builds on a excellent adventure watch in the standard Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for texting, call functionality and LiveTrack – plus satellite messaging, check-in and SOS SOS for when you’re out of signal.
Outcome is an increasingly remarkable adventure device for those that want to be unplugged. If you want to have someone monitor you from afar while running after dark or in the remote areas, the Garmin accomplishes this without requiring anything else.
This is very freeing to be outside without a phone, but that functionality comes at a significant cost, both in terms of the colossal cost of the watch and the recurring subscription of the inReach service to enable the service. At least it is not reliant on your phone carrier so functions with any make of smartphone and carrier.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier device for someone who hates being burdened by their phone when jogging, cycling or hiking, but nevertheless desires to be locatable and contactable. For everyone else, it is a significant money when the excellent Fenix 8 already exists.
Pros: LTE and satellite communication, high-luminance OLED screen, tracks all activities with best-in-class GPS, integrated torch, phone and standalone voice control, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, complete offline mapping and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre underwater use, buttons and touchscreen.
Cons: very costly, LTE and orbital functions require monthly subscription, restricted Garmin Pay financial compatibility, voice capabilities are slow, limited smartwatch functionality versus competing watches.
