The newest model of the top-tier Fenix outdoor watch includes a life-saving feature: no-phone communication and SOS messaging via 4G LTE or satellite connections.
This Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the previously outstanding Fenix 8 by incorporating new mobile technology, plus an available state-of-the-art microLED screen in a special edition. It is Garmin's premier device and designed to be the only tool needed to explore almost any location and track every activity.
This makes it an extremely pricey option, priced from £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 – almost twice the price of the regular Fenix 8.
You do receive a lot of functionality for your money, with best-in-class fitness, activity and outdoor monitoring. Its full offline maps of the world can automatically guide you back to the path if you get lost absent a phone, and appear excellent on the large, sharp and high-luminance touchscreen.
This Fenix 8 Pro is only offered in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, omitting the smaller 43mm size available in other models, so it is a big watch for bigger wrists. But the 47mm OLED version as reviewed boasts an extra day of watch battery life despite the display on all the time, enduring a reliable eight to nine days between charging.
Phone-Free Messaging, Calling and Real-Time Location
The company operates its own inReach LTE (4G) and satellite subscription service instead of depending on a watch plan linked to your phone provider, like other smartwatches. However in contrast to competing satellite-capable products, SOS communication is not included for free.
Instead, plans begin from £7.99 or similar a month, which provides unlimited LTE text and voice messages, calls and LiveTrack position tracking – so your contacts or family can keep an eye on you while engaged in jogging, biking or similar pursuits – along with SOS satellite SOS messaging.
Check-ins and texts via satellite are then billed additionally, with more expensive plans offering different quotas of orbital usage, increasing to a £50 a month unlimited subscription. The watch comes with a 30-day free trial so you can test out the service.
After you have got it set up, you simply head out outside without your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You can not use it for playing music or comparable tasks, but you are able to place and receive calls, dispatch texts and overall stay connected with your family and companions.
Whenever you message someone, Garmin sends them an SMS from a arbitrary phone number, which they can reply to back to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger app, you can then message reciprocally via text or voice communications, and make voice calls. Your contact is not required to have a Garmin profile to use the Messenger app, only a phone number is sufficient to register for texts.
Messaging on the watch works adequately but composing texts on the small on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It includes a set of customisable pre-set responses you can use to speed things up. Spoken recordings and calls work acceptably, although as with most smartwatches, you’re not going to want to use it for extended conversations as the audio clarity is not fantastic.
LiveTrack is the handiest feature. You can configure to automatically send a link to selected contacts whenever you start an exercise, so they can track your real time location on a map. It’s great for following race progress, but it primarily serves as a tool for someone you trust to know your location in case something happens. It has typically functioned effectively, although the real location has occasionally been delayed when moving in and out of strong LTE coverage.
All of these capabilities are available on other Garmin watches if you carry your phone with you, but in areas where LTE lacks coverage, the orbital kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, location updates and emergency SOS.
A on-screen assistance shows you how to find the clear view to the satellite, 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, however it is important to remember that orbital service is limited to the US mainland, most of Canada, and the majority of Europe except for regions of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees north.
Sustainability
The watch is typically serviceable with services available via the customer service site. The battery is rated to retain at least 90% of its initial capacity after two years of weekly charging. The watch does not contain any reused components. Garmin provides recycling schemes on recent purchases.
Cost
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).
Verdict
This Fenix 8 Pro builds on a excellent adventure watch in the standard Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for texting, calls and LiveTrack – along with satellite messaging, location update and emergency SOS for when you’re without coverage.
Outcome is an even more impressive adventure tool for those that desire to be unplugged. If you wish to have someone keep an eye on you from afar while running after dark or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin does so without needing anything else.
It is very liberating to be outside without a phone, but that functionality comes at quite a price, both in terms of the substantial price of the watch and the monthly fee of the inReach service to provide the features. At least it isn’t dependent on your phone carrier so functions with any make of smartphone and carrier.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier device for someone who dislikes being weighed down by their phone when running, biking or hiking, but nevertheless wants to be locatable and contactable. For other users, it is a lot of expense when the superb Fenix 8 is already available.
Advantages: LTE and orbital messaging, high-luminance OLED screen, tracks all activities with premier GPS, integrated torch, voice and standalone voice control, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, complete offline maps and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre underwater use, buttons and touch.
Cons: extremely expensive, LTE and orbital features need monthly payment, restricted Garmin Pay bank support, voice capabilities are slow, basic wearable functionality versus Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
