The newest version of Garmin's flagship Fenix outdoor timepiece brings a life-saving feature: phone-free communication and emergency messaging using 4G LTE or orbital connections.
The Fenix 8 Pro builds upon the already impressive Fenix 8 by adding cutting-edge cellular technology, plus an optional advanced microLED screen in a limited edition. It is Garmin's premier model and engineered to be the only gadget required to venture almost any location and track every activity.
This positions it as an extremely pricey proposition, starting at £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED model and reaching a colossal £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm variant with microLED display – nearly double the price of the regular Fenix 8.
Users receive a lot of features for your money, with best-in-class fitness, movement and outdoor tracking. The complete offline maps of the world can seamlessly guide you back to the trail if you get lost absent a phone, and appear excellent on the sizable, crisp and high-luminance display.
The Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively available in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, not the smaller 43mm size available in other models, so it is a big watch for bigger wrists. However the 47mm OLED model as reviewed boasts an extra day of watch battery life even with the display on all the time, enduring a solid eight to nine days between charging.
Phone-Free Texting, Calls and Real-Time Location
The company uses its own inReach LTE (4G) and satellite service plan instead of depending on a watch plan linked to your phone provider, as with other wearables. However unlike competing satellite-capable products, SOS communication is not included for free.
Instead, subscriptions start at £7.99 or similar a month, which provides limitless LTE text and audio messaging, calls and LiveTrack position tracking – so your friends or loved ones can monitor you while out running, biking or similar pursuits – along with emergency orbital SOS messaging.
Location updates and texts over satellite are then billed additionally, with more expensive plans including various quotas of satellite usage, increasing to a £50 a month unlimited subscription. The watch includes a 30-day free trial so you can test out the service.
After you have got it set up, you just venture the door minus your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You cannot use it for streaming music or comparable activities, but you can place and receive calls, dispatch texts and generally keep in touch with your family and friends.
Whenever you text someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a random phone number, which they can reply to back to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger app, you can then communicate back and forth via typed or voice messages, and initiate voice calls. Your recipient does not need a Garmin account to use the Messenger app, just a phone number is enough to register for texts.
Messaging on the watch works fine but typing out texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is slow. It includes a set of customisable canned responses you can use to speed things up. Spoken recordings and calls work acceptably, although as with most wearables, you’re not going to wish to use it for lengthy discussions as the quality is not fantastic.
LiveTrack is the handiest feature. You can set it up to on its own transmit a link to chosen contacts whenever you begin an exercise, so they can track your live location on a map. It’s great for monitoring race performance, but it mostly serves as a tool for someone you trust to know your location in case an incident occurs. It has typically worked effectively, although the actual position has occasionally been delayed when moving in and out of strong LTE coverage.
These features are accessible on other Garmin watches if you bring your phone with you, but in locations where LTE lacks coverage, the satellite kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, location check-ins and emergency SOS.
A guide displays you how to locate the line of sight to the satellite, which then sends and receives communications within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was unexpectedly straightforward to use and could be a crucial lifeline, though it is essential to remember that orbital service is restricted 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 serviceable with options available through the customer service site. The battery is certified to retain at least 90% of its original power after two years of weekly charging. The watch does not contain any reused materials. Garmin provides disposal schemes on recent 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 packages begin from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Verdict
This Fenix 8 Pro builds on a fantastic outdoor watch in the regular Fenix 8 and adds LTE for messaging, calls and LiveTrack – plus orbital 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 monitor you remotely while exercising out at night or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin does so without needing anything else.
This is very liberating to be outside without a phone, but that capability comes at quite a price, both in terms of the substantial price of the watch and the monthly subscription of the inReach service to provide the features. At least it is not reliant on your phone carrier so works with any brand of smartphone and carrier.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier gadget for someone who hates being weighed down by their phone when running, cycling or hiking, but nevertheless desires to be trackable and contactable. For other users, it is a lot of expense when the superb Fenix 8 is already available.
Advantages: LTE and orbital communication, high-luminance OLED screen, tracks everything with best-in-class GPS, integrated torch, phone and offline commands, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, complete offline mapping and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre diving, buttons and touchscreen.
Cons: very expensive, LTE and satellite features require ongoing payment, restricted Garmin Pay bank compatibility, speech capabilities are slow, limited wearable features compared with competing watches.
