This latest version of Garmin's premium Fenix adventure timepiece includes a life-saving capability: phone-free messaging and SOS alerts using 4G LTE or satellite connections.
The Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the previously outstanding Fenix 8 by adding cutting-edge mobile tech, plus an available advanced microLED screen in a special edition. It is the brand's top device and engineered to be the only gadget needed to venture almost any location and track all your movements.
That makes it an extremely pricey proposition, starting at £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 screen – nearly twice the price of the standard Fenix 8.
Users get a lot of features for your investment, with industry-leading workout, activity and outdoor monitoring. The full offline mapping of the world can automatically direct you return to the path if you lose your way without a phone, and appear great on the large, sharp and super-bright touchscreen.
The Fenix 8 Pro is only offered in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, omitting the smaller 43mm version found in other devices, so it is a large watch for larger wrists. However the 47mm OLED model as tested boasts an extra day of smartwatch battery life despite the display always active, lasting a reliable eight to nine days between charges.
No-Phone Texting, Calls and Real-Time Location
The company operates its own inReach LTE (4G) and orbital service plan rather than depending on a watch plan linked to your phone provider, like other wearables. But unlike competing satellite-enabled products, SOS messaging is not included for no cost.
Instead, plans begin from £7.99 or equivalent a month, which provides unlimited LTE SMS and audio messaging, call functionality and LiveTrack position sharing – so your friends or family can monitor you while engaged in jogging, cycling or comparable activities – along with SOS satellite SOS alerts.
Check-ins and messages via orbital are then charged on top, with more expensive plans offering various allowances of orbital use, climbing to a £50 a month all-inclusive plan. The watch comes with a 30-day free trial so you can evaluate the functionality.
After you have completed setup, you just head out outside without your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You can not use it for playing music or similar tasks, but you are able to make and take calls, dispatch texts and generally stay connected with your relatives and friends.
When you text someone, Garmin sends them an SMS from a arbitrary phone number, which they can reply to directly to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger app, you can then message reciprocally using text or voice communications, and initiate voice calls. Your recipient does not need a Garmin account to use the Messenger app, just a phone number is sufficient to sign up for texts.
Texting on the watch functions adequately but composing texts on the small on-screen keyboard is slow. It has a collection of personalizable canned replies you can send to expedite communication. Voice messages and calls work acceptably, although as with most smartwatches, you’re unlikely going to want to use it for lengthy discussions as the audio clarity is not fantastic.
LiveTrack is the handiest feature. You can set it up to automatically transmit a link to selected contacts every time you start an activity, so they can track your real time location on a map. It’s great for monitoring competition performance, but it primarily serves as a tool for someone you trust to know your location in case something happens. It has typically functioned well, though the actual location has sometimes lagged when transitioning in and out of good LTE coverage.
These features are accessible on other Garmin devices if you carry your phone with you, but in locations where LTE lacks coverage, the orbital kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, location check-ins and emergency SOS.
A on-screen assistance shows you how to locate the line of sight to the satellite, which then sends and receives messages within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was unexpectedly straightforward to use and could be a crucial lifeline, however it is important to note that satellite service is limited to the US continent, most of Canada, and most of Europe except for parts of Scandinavia above 65 degrees latitude.
Sustainability
The watch is typically serviceable with services offered through the support site. The battery is rated to retain at least 90% of its initial capacity after two years of weekly charging. The watch lacks any recycled materials. Garmin offers recycling programs 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 subscription packages cost from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Verdict
This Fenix 8 Pro takes a fantastic outdoor watch in the regular Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for texting, calls and LiveTrack – along with orbital communication, check-in and SOS SOS for when you’re out of signal.
Outcome is an increasingly impressive outdoor device for those that desire to be phone-free. If you want to have someone monitor you from afar while exercising out at night or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin does so without needing anything else.
This is quite freeing to be outdoors without a phone, but that capability comes at a significant price, both in terms of the colossal cost of the watch and the recurring subscription of the inReach service to enable the features. Fortunately it is not dependent on your phone carrier so functions with all make of smartphone and network.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier device for someone who dislikes being burdened by their phone when jogging, biking or trekking, but nevertheless wants to be locatable and contactable. For other users, it is a lot of money when the superb Fenix 8 already exists.
Pros: LTE and orbital communication, super-bright OLED screen, tracks all activities with premier GPS, built-in flashlight, phone and offline voice control, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, full offline mapping and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre underwater use, buttons and touchscreen.
Drawbacks: extremely costly, LTE and orbital functions need ongoing payment, restricted Garmin Pay bank support, speech capabilities are sluggish, basic smartwatch functionality versus Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
