This most recent version of the premium Fenix outdoor timepiece brings a life-saving capability: phone-free messaging and emergency alerts via 4G LTE or satellite links.
This Fenix 8 Pro builds upon the already outstanding Fenix 8 by adding new mobile tech, along with an available advanced microLED screen in a special edition. This is Garmin's premier device and engineered to be the only tool required to venture virtually 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 climbing to a substantial £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm variant with microLED display – almost twice the cost of the regular Fenix 8.
Users get a significant features for your investment, with best-in-class workout, movement and outdoor tracking. Its full offline maps of the world can automatically direct you back to the path if you get lost without a phone, and look excellent on the large, sharp and super-bright touchscreen.
The Fenix 8 Pro is only available in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, omitting the more compact 43mm version found in other models, so it is a large watch for larger wrists. However the 47mm OLED version as tested boasts an extra day of watch battery life despite the screen always active, enduring a reliable eight to nine days between charges.
No-Phone Messaging, Calling and Real-Time Location
Garmin uses its own inReach LTE (4G) and orbital service plan instead of relying on a watch plan tied to your phone carrier, as with other smartwatches. However in contrast to competing satellite-enabled devices, emergency messaging is not provided for free.
Rather, plans begin from £7.99 or equivalent a month, which includes unlimited LTE SMS and audio messaging, call functionality and LiveTrack location tracking – so your contacts or family can keep an eye on you while engaged in jogging, cycling or comparable pursuits – along with emergency orbital SOS messaging.
Check-ins and texts over satellite are then charged additionally, with more expensive subscriptions including various quotas of satellite use, increasing to a £50 a month unlimited subscription. The watch includes a 30-day trial period so you can evaluate the functionality.
Once you have got it set up, you simply head out outside without your phone and the watch will link to LTE. You can not use it for playing music or similar tasks, but you are able to make and take calls, send texts and overall stay connected with your relatives and companions.
When you text someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a arbitrary number, which they can reply to directly to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger app, you can then communicate back and forth via text or spoken communications, and initiate voice calls. Your recipient does not need a Garmin profile to use the Messenger application, only a mobile number is sufficient to register for texts.
Messaging on the watch works fine but typing out texts on the small on-screen keyboard is slow. It includes a collection of customisable pre-set responses you can send to speed things up. Spoken recordings and calls perform acceptably, although as with most wearables, you’re not going to wish to use it for extended discussions as the quality is less than ideal.
LiveTrack is the handiest function. You can set it up to automatically send a link to chosen contacts every time you begin an exercise, so they can track your live position on a map. It’s excellent for following race progress, but it primarily acts as a tool for someone you trust to be aware of your location in case something happens. It has typically worked well, though the real position has sometimes lagged when transitioning in and out of good LTE coverage.
All of 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 send texts, location check-ins and SOS SOS.
A on-screen assistance shows you how to find the clear view 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 safety feature, though it is essential to note that satellite service is limited to the US continent, the majority of Canada, and most of Europe except for parts of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees north.
Environmental Impact
The watch is generally repairable with services offered via the support site. The battery is certified to maintain at least 90% of its original power after two years of weekly charging. The watch lacks any reused components. Garmin offers recycling schemes on recent purchases.
Price
This Fenix 8 Pro costs from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The additional Garmin inReach service packages cost from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Verdict
This Fenix 8 Pro builds on a fantastic outdoor watch in the regular Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for messaging, calls and LiveTrack – along with satellite communication, check-in and SOS SOS for when you’re without signal.
Outcome is an increasingly impressive adventure device for those that desire to be unplugged. If you want to have someone monitor you from afar while running out at night or in the remote areas, the Garmin does so without requiring anything else.
This is quite freeing to be outdoors without a phone, but that functionality comes at quite a cost, both in terms of the substantial price of the watch and the monthly fee of the inReach plan to provide the features. Fortunately it isn’t dependent on your phone carrier so functions with all brand of smartphone and carrier.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a killer gadget for someone who hates being weighed down by their phone when running, cycling or trekking, but nevertheless desires to be locatable and contactable. For everyone else, it is a lot of money when the excellent Fenix 8 already exists.
Advantages: LTE and satellite communication, super-bright OLED screen, tracks everything with best-in-class GPS, built-in flashlight, voice and standalone commands, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, full offline mapping and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre underwater use, buttons and touch.
Drawbacks: very expensive, LTE and satellite functions require ongoing subscription, limited Garmin Pay bank support, voice capabilities are slow, basic wearable features compared with Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
