This latest model of Garmin's top-tier Fenix outdoor timepiece brings a life-saving feature: phone-free communication and SOS alerts via 4G LTE or orbital links.
The Fenix 8 Pro enhances the already impressive Fenix 8 by adding cutting-edge cellular tech, along with an optional advanced microLED display in a limited edition. This is the brand's top device and designed to be the single tool required to venture almost anywhere and track all your movements.
That positions it as an very 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 – almost twice the cost of the standard Fenix 8.
Users get a lot of features for your money, with best-in-class fitness, activity and outdoor monitoring. Its full offline maps of the world can seamlessly direct you return to the trail if you get lost without a phone, and look great on the large, crisp and high-luminance touchscreen.
This Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively offered in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, not the more compact 43mm size available in other devices, so it is a large watch for larger wrists. However the 47mm OLED model as tested boasts an extra day of watch battery life despite the screen always active, enduring a solid eight to nine days between charges.
Phone-Free Texting, Calls and Real-Time Location
Garmin operates its own inReach LTE (4G) and orbital service service instead of relying on a watch plan linked to your phone carrier, as with other smartwatches. However in contrast to competing satellite-enabled products, SOS communication is not provided for free.
Instead, subscriptions begin from £7.99 or similar a month, which provides limitless LTE text and voice messages, call functionality and LiveTrack location tracking – so your contacts or loved ones can monitor you while out running, cycling or comparable pursuits – along with emergency orbital SOS messaging.
Check-ins and messages over satellite are then charged on top, with higher-tier plans offering different quotas of satellite usage, climbing to a £50 a month all-inclusive subscription. The watch includes a 30-day free trial so you can evaluate the service.
Once you have completed setup, you simply 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 are able to place and receive calls, send texts and overall stay connected with your relatives and friends.
When you text someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a random phone number, which they can respond to directly to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger app, you can then message back and forth using typed or voice communications, and initiate voice calls. Your recipient does not need a Garmin profile to use the Messenger app, only a phone number is enough to sign up for texts.
Messaging on the watch works adequately but composing texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is slow. It includes a collection of customisable canned replies you can use to expedite communication. Spoken messages and calls perform OK, although as with the majority of smartwatches, you’re not going to wish to use it for extended discussions as the audio clarity is not fantastic.
LiveTrack is the handiest feature. You can set it up to automatically send a link to selected contacts every time you start an exercise, so they can follow your real time location on a map. It’s excellent for monitoring competition progress, but it mostly acts as a utility for someone you rely on to know your location in case an incident occurs. It has typically worked effectively, though the actual position has occasionally lagged when moving in and out of strong LTE signal.
These features are accessible on other Garmin watches if you carry your phone with you, but in areas where LTE lacks coverage, the satellite kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, position check-ins and emergency SOS.
A guide shows you how to locate the line of sight to the orbital system, which then transmits and gets communications within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was surprisingly easy to use and could be a crucial safety feature, however it is important to note that orbital coverage is limited to the US mainland, the majority of Canada, and most of Europe excluding parts of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees north.
Environmental Impact
The watch is typically repairable with options offered through the customer service site. The battery is rated to maintain at least 90% of its initial power after two years of weekly charging. The watch lacks any reused components. Garmin offers disposal programs on recent purchases.
Price
This Fenix 8 Pro is priced from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The additional Garmin inReach service packages begin from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Verdict
The Fenix 8 Pro takes a fantastic outdoor watch in the standard Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for texting, calls and LiveTrack – plus orbital messaging, location update and emergency SOS for when you’re out of coverage.
Outcome is an increasingly remarkable adventure tool for those that want to be phone-free. If you wish 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 requiring anything else.
This is very freeing to be outside without a phone, but that capability comes at a significant price, both in terms of the substantial price of the watch and the recurring fee of the inReach plan to enable the features. Fortunately it is not reliant on your phone carrier so functions with all make of smartphone and network.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier gadget for someone who dislikes being weighed down by their phone when jogging, cycling or hiking, but still desires to be locatable and contactable. For other users, it is a lot of money when the excellent Fenix 8 is already available.
Advantages: LTE and satellite communication, high-luminance OLED display, monitors everything with premier GPS, built-in torch, voice and standalone voice control, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, complete offline mapping and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre underwater use, physical controls and touch.
Drawbacks: extremely expensive, LTE and satellite functions need ongoing payment, restricted Garmin Pay bank compatibility, voice features are sluggish, limited wearable functionality versus Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
