The latest version of Garmin's top-tier Fenix outdoor watch brings a life-saving feature: no-phone messaging and SOS messaging using 4G LTE or satellite links.
The Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the already outstanding Fenix 8 by incorporating cutting-edge cellular technology, along with an available advanced microLED screen in a limited edition. It is Garmin's top model and engineered to be the single tool required to explore virtually anywhere and monitor all your movements.
This positions it as an extremely expensive option, starting at £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED version and reaching a colossal £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm edition with microLED display – nearly double the price of the regular Fenix 8.
Users receive a significant functionality for your investment, with best-in-class workout, activity and adventure tracking. Its complete offline mapping of the world can seamlessly direct you back to the trail if you lose your way absent a phone, and look great on the sizable, crisp and high-luminance display.
The Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively offered in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, omitting the more compact 43mm size available in other devices, so it is a big watch for bigger wrists. However the 47mm OLED model as reviewed boasts an additional day of watch battery life even with the screen always active, enduring a solid eight to nine days between charges.
Phone-Free Texting, Calls and Real-Time Location
Garmin uses its own inReach LTE (4G) and orbital service plan instead of depending on a watch plan linked to your mobile provider, like other wearables. However unlike competing satellite-enabled devices, SOS messaging is not provided for no cost.
Rather, plans start at £7.99 or equivalent a month, which includes unlimited LTE SMS and voice messages, calls and LiveTrack location tracking – so your contacts or loved ones can monitor you while engaged in jogging, biking or similar pursuits – along with SOS orbital SOS messaging.
Check-ins and messages via satellite are then charged on top, with more expensive plans including different quotas of orbital use, climbing to a £50 a month all-inclusive subscription. The watch comes with a 30-day free trial so you can evaluate the service.
After you have got it set up, you just venture outside minus your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You cannot use it for streaming music or similar tasks, but you are able to place and receive calls, dispatch texts and generally stay connected with your relatives and friends.
When you text someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a arbitrary number, which they can respond to back to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger app, you can then communicate back and forth using text or spoken messages, and make voice calls. Your contact is not required to have a Garmin account to use the Messenger application, only a mobile number is enough to register for texts.
Messaging on the watch functions fine but composing texts on the small on-screen keyboard is slow. It includes a collection of customisable canned responses you can send to speed things up. Spoken recordings and calls work OK, though as with most smartwatches, you’re not going to wish to use it for extended conversations as the audio clarity is less than ideal.
LiveTrack is the most useful function. You can configure to on its own send a URL to selected contacts whenever you begin an activity, so they can follow your real time location on a map. It’s excellent for following competition performance, but it primarily acts as a utility for someone you rely on to know your whereabouts in case something happens. It has typically functioned effectively, though the actual location has sometimes lagged when transitioning in and out of good LTE coverage.
All of 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 activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, location updates and emergency SOS.
A on-screen assistance shows you how to find the line of sight to the satellite, which then sends and receives communications within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was unexpectedly easy to use and could be a crucial lifeline, however it is important to remember that orbital service is limited to the US mainland, most of Canada, and most of Europe excluding regions of Scandinavia above 65 degrees north.
Sustainability
The watch is generally serviceable with options available through the customer service portal. The battery is rated to maintain at least 90% of its original power after two years of weekly charging. The watch lacks any reused materials. Garmin provides disposal schemes on recent purchases.
Cost
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 cost from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Conclusion
The Fenix 8 Pro takes a fantastic 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 coverage.
Outcome is an even more remarkable outdoor device for those that desire to be phone-free. If you want to have someone monitor you from afar while running out at night or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin accomplishes this without requiring anything else.
It is very liberating to be outside without a phone, but that functionality carries a significant cost, both in terms of the substantial price of the watch and the recurring subscription of the inReach plan to provide the features. At least it isn’t dependent on your phone carrier so functions with all make of smartphone and carrier.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier gadget for someone who dislikes being burdened by their phone when jogging, cycling or hiking, but still desires to be trackable and contactable. For other users, it is a lot of expense when the excellent Fenix 8 is already available.
Pros: LTE and orbital communication, high-luminance OLED screen, tracks all activities with premier GPS, built-in flashlight, phone and standalone voice control, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, full offline maps and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre underwater use, buttons and touchscreen.
Drawbacks: extremely expensive, LTE and satellite features require ongoing payment, restricted Garmin Pay bank compatibility, voice features are slow, limited wearable functionality compared with competing watches.
