The most recent iteration of Garmin's premium Fenix outdoor timepiece includes a life-saving capability: no-phone communication and emergency messaging using 4G LTE or orbital links.
The Fenix 8 Pro enhances the already outstanding Fenix 8 by adding cutting-edge cellular technology, plus an available advanced microLED display in a special edition. It is the brand's top device and engineered to be the single tool required to venture almost anywhere and monitor every activity.
This positions it as an extremely pricey option, 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 – almost twice the price of the standard Fenix 8.
Users receive a lot of features for your money, with best-in-class fitness, activity and outdoor tracking. The full offline maps of the world can seamlessly guide you back to the path if you lose your way absent a phone, and look great on the large, sharp and high-luminance touchscreen.
This Fenix 8 Pro is only 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. However 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 solid eight to nine days between charging.
Phone-Free Texting, Calling and Real-Time Location
The company uses its own inReach LTE (4G) and satellite service plan instead of relying on a watch plan linked to your mobile carrier, as with other smartwatches. However in contrast to competing satellite-enabled products, SOS communication is not provided for free.
Instead, plans start at £7.99 or similar a month, which provides unlimited LTE SMS and audio messaging, call functionality and LiveTrack position tracking – so your contacts or loved ones can monitor you while engaged in jogging, biking or comparable pursuits – plus emergency satellite SOS alerts.
Location updates and messages over orbital are then charged additionally, with more expensive subscriptions offering different quotas of orbital usage, climbing to a £50 a month all-inclusive subscription. The watch comes with a 30-day trial period so you can evaluate the functionality.
After you have completed setup, you just venture outside without your phone and the watch will link to LTE. You can not use it for streaming music or similar activities, but you are able to make and take calls, send texts and generally 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 directly to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger app, you can then communicate back and forth via text or voice messages, and make voice calls. Your recipient is not required to have a Garmin account to use the Messenger app, just a mobile number is sufficient to sign up for texts.
Texting on the watch works fine but composing texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It includes a collection of customisable canned responses you can send to speed things up. Spoken recordings and calls work OK, though as with the majority of smartwatches, you’re unlikely going to wish to use it for extended discussions as the quality is less than ideal.
LiveTrack is the handiest feature. You can set it up to on its own send a link to chosen contacts whenever you start an activity, so they can follow your real time position on a map. It’s great for monitoring competition progress, but it mostly acts as a tool for someone you trust to be aware of your whereabouts in case something happens. It has typically worked well, though the real location has occasionally lagged when transitioning in and out of strong LTE coverage.
These features are available on other Garmin watches if you carry your phone with you, but in locations where LTE does not reach, the satellite kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, location updates and emergency SOS.
A on-screen assistance displays you how to locate the line of sight to the orbital system, which then sends and receives 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 service is restricted to the US mainland, the majority of Canada, and the majority of Europe except for parts of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees latitude.
Sustainability
The watch is generally serviceable with options available through the support portal. The battery is rated to maintain at least 90% of its initial capacity after two years of weekly charging. The watch lacks any recycled materials. Garmin offers recycling schemes on recent purchases.
Cost
This Fenix 8 Pro is priced from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The additional Garmin inReach subscription packages cost from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Verdict
The Fenix 8 Pro takes a excellent adventure watch in the standard Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for texting, call functionality and LiveTrack – plus satellite messaging, check-in and emergency SOS for when you’re without signal.
Outcome is an increasingly impressive adventure device for those that want to be phone-free. If you wish to have someone keep an eye on you remotely while running out at night or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin accomplishes this without needing additional gear.
This is quite freeing to be outside without a phone, but that capability comes at quite a cost, both in terms of the colossal price of the watch and the monthly subscription of the inReach plan to enable the service. Fortunately it is not dependent on your phone provider so works with any brand of smartphone and network.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier device for someone who dislikes being weighed down by their phone when running, cycling or hiking, but nevertheless desires to be trackable and reachable. For other users, it is a significant money when the excellent Fenix 8 already exists.
Pros: LTE and satellite communication, high-luminance OLED display, monitors all activities with best-in-class GPS, built-in flashlight, phone and standalone commands, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, full offline mapping and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre underwater use, physical controls and touch.
Drawbacks: extremely expensive, LTE and orbital functions require ongoing payment, limited Garmin Pay financial compatibility, speech capabilities are slow, limited smartwatch functionality compared with competing watches.
