The newest version of Garmin's premium Fenix outdoor watch introduces a life-saving capability: phone-free messaging and SOS alerts using 4G LTE or satellite connections.
The Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the previously impressive Fenix 8 by incorporating cutting-edge mobile technology, plus an optional state-of-the-art microLED screen in a limited edition. This is the brand's top model and engineered to be the single gadget required to venture virtually anywhere and track all your movements.
This positions it as an extremely expensive option, 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 edition with microLED screen – almost double the price of the regular Fenix 8.
Users get a lot of functionality for your investment, with industry-leading workout, movement and outdoor tracking. The complete offline mapping of the globe can automatically direct you back to the trail if you get lost absent a phone, and look excellent on the large, crisp and high-luminance touchscreen.
This Fenix 8 Pro is only available in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, omitting the smaller 43mm size found in other devices, so it is a big watch for larger wrists. But the 47mm OLED version as tested boasts an extra day of watch battery life despite the display on all the time, enduring a reliable eight to nine days between charging.
No-Phone Texting, Calls and Real-Time Location
The company uses its own inReach LTE (4G) and orbital service service instead of relying on a watch plan tied to your mobile provider, like other smartwatches. However unlike Apple or Google's satellite-enabled devices, emergency communication is not included for free.
Instead, subscriptions start at £7.99 or similar a month, which provides unlimited LTE SMS and voice messages, calls and LiveTrack position sharing – so your contacts or loved ones can monitor you while out jogging, biking or similar activities – plus emergency orbital SOS alerts.
Check-ins and messages via orbital are then billed on top, with more expensive plans offering different quotas of orbital use, increasing to a £50 a month unlimited plan. The watch includes a 30-day free trial so you can test out the functionality.
Once you have got it set up, you just head out the door without 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 stay connected with your relatives and companions.
When you text someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a random phone number, which they can respond to back to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger application, you can then communicate reciprocally via typed or spoken messages, and initiate voice calls. Your contact does not need a Garmin account to use the Messenger app, only a mobile number is sufficient to sign up for texts.
Texting on the watch works fine but typing out texts on the small on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It has a set of customisable pre-set responses you can use to speed things up. Spoken recordings and calls perform acceptably, although as with most wearables, you’re unlikely going to wish to use it for extended discussions as the audio clarity is not ideal.
LiveTrack is the handiest function. You can configure to automatically transmit a link to chosen contacts every time you start an activity, so they can follow your real time position on a map. It’s great for following competition progress, but it mostly acts as a utility for someone you rely on to be aware of your whereabouts in case something happens. It has typically worked effectively, though the actual location has sometimes lagged when transitioning in and out of good LTE signal.
These features are available on other Garmin watches if you bring your phone with you, but in areas where LTE lacks coverage, the orbital kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, location check-ins and SOS SOS.
A on-screen assistance displays you how to find the line of sight to the orbital system, which then sends and receives communications within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was unexpectedly straightforward to use and could be a crucial lifeline, however it is important to remember that satellite coverage is restricted to the US continent, the majority of Canada, and the majority of Europe excluding regions of Scandinavia above 65 degrees north.
Environmental Impact
The watch is generally repairable with options available through the support portal. The battery is certified to retain at least 90% of its original power after two years of regular charging. The watch lacks any recycled materials. Garmin provides recycling schemes on new purchases.
Cost
The Fenix 8 Pro is priced 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).
Conclusion
This Fenix 8 Pro builds on a excellent outdoor watch in the standard Fenix 8 and adds LTE for messaging, calls and LiveTrack – plus orbital communication, check-in and SOS SOS for when you’re without coverage.
Outcome is an even more impressive outdoor device for those that want to be unplugged. If you want to have someone monitor you remotely while exercising after dark or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin accomplishes this without requiring anything else.
This is quite liberating to be outdoors without a phone, but that capability carries quite a cost, both in terms of the substantial price of the watch and the recurring subscription of the inReach plan to enable the features. Fortunately it is not reliant on your phone provider so functions with any brand of smartphone and network.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a killer device for someone who hates being weighed down by their phone when jogging, cycling or hiking, but still desires to be locatable and contactable. For everyone else, it is a lot of expense when the superb Fenix 8 already exists.
Pros: LTE and orbital communication, high-luminance OLED screen, tracks all activities with best-in-class GPS, integrated flashlight, phone and offline commands, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, complete offline mapping and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre diving, buttons and touchscreen.
Cons: very expensive, LTE and orbital features need ongoing payment, restricted Garmin Pay bank compatibility, voice capabilities are slow, limited wearable functionality versus competing watches.
