The newest iteration of Garmin's premium Fenix adventure timepiece includes a life-saving feature: no-phone messaging and SOS alerts using 4G LTE or orbital connections.
This Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the already outstanding Fenix 8 by adding new mobile tech, along with an available state-of-the-art microLED display in a limited edition. It is Garmin's premier model and engineered to be the single tool required to explore virtually anywhere and monitor all your movements.
This positions it as an very expensive proposition, priced from £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED model and climbing to a substantial £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm variant with microLED display – nearly double the cost of the standard Fenix 8.
Users get a lot of features for your money, with industry-leading fitness, activity and adventure monitoring. The complete offline maps of the globe can seamlessly guide you back to the trail if you get lost without a phone, and appear great on the large, sharp and high-luminance touchscreen.
This Fenix 8 Pro is only available in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, omitting the more compact 43mm size available in other devices, so it is a large watch for bigger wrists. But the 47mm OLED model as tested does have an extra day of watch battery life even with the display always active, enduring a reliable eight to nine days between charging.
No-Phone Texting, Calls and Live Tracking
Garmin operates its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and orbital service service rather than depending on a watch plan linked to your mobile provider, like other smartwatches. But in contrast to Apple or Google's satellite-capable products, emergency messaging is not provided for free.
Instead, plans start at £7.99 or similar a month, which provides limitless LTE SMS and voice messaging, call functionality and LiveTrack location tracking – so your friends or loved ones can monitor you while engaged in jogging, cycling or similar pursuits – along with SOS orbital SOS messaging.
Check-ins and texts over orbital are then billed additionally, with higher-tier subscriptions offering various quotas of orbital use, increasing to a £50 a month all-inclusive subscription. The watch includes a 30-day trial period so you can test out the service.
Once you have got it set up, you just venture outside minus 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, send texts and overall keep in touch with your relatives and friends.
When you message 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 communicate back and forth using text or voice messages, and initiate voice calls. Your contact does not need a Garmin profile to use the Messenger application, only a mobile number is enough to sign up for texts.
Texting on the watch works adequately but typing out texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It has a collection of personalizable pre-set replies you can send to speed things up. Spoken messages and calls work OK, although as with the majority of smartwatches, you’re unlikely going to want to use it for lengthy conversations as the audio clarity is less than fantastic.
LiveTrack is the handiest function. You can configure to automatically send a URL to selected contacts every time you begin an activity, so they can track your live position on a map. It’s excellent for following race progress, but it mostly acts as a tool for someone you rely on to know your whereabouts in case something happens. It has generally worked effectively, though the actual position has occasionally been delayed when transitioning in and out of strong LTE coverage.
These capabilities are accessible on other Garmin devices if you bring your phone with you, but in locations where LTE lacks coverage, the satellite kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, location updates and SOS SOS.
A on-screen assistance displays you how to locate the line of sight to the orbital system, 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, though it is important to remember that orbital coverage is restricted to the US continent, most of Canada, and most of Europe except for parts of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees north.
Environmental Impact
The watch is typically serviceable with services offered through the support portal. The battery is certified to maintain at least 90% of its original power after two years of regular charging. The watch lacks any reused materials. Garmin offers recycling schemes on recent purchases.
Cost
This Fenix 8 Pro costs 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
This Fenix 8 Pro builds on a fantastic adventure watch in the regular Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for texting, calls and LiveTrack – along with orbital messaging, check-in and SOS SOS for when you’re out of signal.
Outcome is an even more remarkable adventure tool for those that want to be phone-free. If you wish to have someone monitor you remotely while running after dark or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin does so without requiring anything else.
It is very liberating to be outside without a phone, but that functionality carries quite a price, both in terms of the substantial cost of the watch and the recurring subscription of the inReach service to enable the features. At least it isn’t dependent on your phone provider so works with all brand of smartphone and carrier.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier device for someone who dislikes being weighed down by their phone when jogging, cycling or trekking, but still desires to be locatable and contactable. For everyone else, it is a lot of money when the excellent Fenix 8 is already available.
Advantages: LTE and satellite messaging, high-luminance OLED display, tracks all activities with premier GPS, built-in torch, voice and standalone voice control, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, complete offline maps and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre underwater use, physical controls and touch.
Cons: very expensive, LTE and orbital functions require monthly payment, restricted Garmin Pay financial compatibility, voice capabilities are slow, limited smartwatch features versus competing watches.
