The latest iteration of Garmin's top-tier Fenix outdoor watch brings a potentially lifesaving capability: no-phone messaging and emergency alerts using 4G LTE or satellite links.
The Fenix 8 Pro enhances the already impressive Fenix 8 by adding cutting-edge cellular technology, plus an optional advanced microLED display in a limited edition. It is Garmin's premier model and engineered to be the only tool needed to explore virtually any location and track every activity.
This positions it as an very expensive proposition, priced from £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED version and climbing to a colossal £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm variant with microLED display – almost double the price of the regular Fenix 8.
Users get a lot of features for your money, with industry-leading fitness, activity and outdoor monitoring. The full offline maps of the world can seamlessly guide you back to the trail if you lose your way absent a phone, and look excellent on the large, crisp and high-luminance touchscreen.
The Fenix 8 Pro is only offered in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, not the more compact 43mm size available in other models, so it is a big watch for larger wrists. However the 47mm OLED model as reviewed does have an additional day of watch battery life even with the screen always active, enduring a reliable eight to nine days between charges.
No-Phone Messaging, Calls and Real-Time Location
Garmin uses its own inReach LTE (4G) and satellite subscription service rather than depending on a watch plan linked to your phone carrier, like other wearables. However in contrast to competing satellite-capable products, emergency messaging is not provided for no cost.
Rather, subscriptions begin from £7.99 or similar a month, which includes unlimited LTE SMS and audio messaging, calls and LiveTrack location tracking – so your friends or loved ones can monitor you while out running, cycling or comparable activities – along with SOS satellite SOS messaging.
Check-ins and texts over orbital are then billed additionally, with more expensive plans offering various allowances of satellite use, increasing to a £50 a month unlimited subscription. The watch includes a 30-day free trial so you can evaluate the functionality.
Once you have completed setup, you just head out outside minus your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You can not use it for streaming music or comparable tasks, but you can make and take calls, dispatch texts and overall keep in touch with your family and companions.
Whenever you text someone, Garmin sends them an SMS from a arbitrary number, which they can reply to back to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger application, you can then message back and forth via text or spoken communications, and make voice calls. Your recipient is not required to have a Garmin profile to use the Messenger application, only a phone number is sufficient to register for texts.
Messaging on the watch functions fine but typing out texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is slow. It includes a collection of personalizable pre-set replies you can send to speed things up. Voice recordings and calls work OK, though as with the majority of wearables, you’re not going to want to use it for lengthy discussions as the quality is less than ideal.
LiveTrack is the most useful function. You can set it up to automatically transmit a URL to chosen contacts every time you begin an activity, so they can follow your live position on a map. It’s excellent for monitoring competition performance, but it mostly serves as a tool for someone you rely on to be aware of your whereabouts in case an incident occurs. It has typically worked effectively, although the real location has sometimes lagged 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 areas where LTE does not reach, the orbital kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, position updates and SOS SOS.
A guide shows 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 surprisingly straightforward to use and could be a vital safety feature, however it is essential to note that satellite service is restricted to the US mainland, the majority of Canada, and the majority of Europe excluding parts of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees north.
Environmental Impact
The watch is generally serviceable with services offered via the customer service portal. The battery is rated to retain at least 90% of its original power after two years of regular charging. The watch does not contain any recycled components. Garmin offers recycling schemes on recent purchases.
Cost
This Fenix 8 Pro costs 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).
Conclusion
This Fenix 8 Pro builds on a fantastic outdoor watch in the standard Fenix 8 and adds LTE for texting, calls and LiveTrack – plus satellite messaging, check-in and emergency SOS for when you’re out of signal.
Outcome is an even more impressive adventure tool for those that want to be phone-free. If you want to have someone keep an eye on you from afar while exercising after dark or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin does so without needing anything else.
It is quite liberating to be outdoors without a phone, but that functionality comes at a significant price, 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 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 running, cycling or hiking, but nevertheless desires to be trackable and reachable. For everyone else, it is a lot of expense when the superb Fenix 8 is already available.
Pros: LTE and satellite messaging, high-luminance OLED display, tracks everything with premier GPS, integrated flashlight, voice and standalone voice control, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, full offline maps and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre underwater use, physical controls and touchscreen.
Drawbacks: very expensive, LTE and orbital features need monthly payment, limited Garmin Pay financial compatibility, speech features are slow, limited smartwatch functionality versus competing watches.
