The most recent version of Garmin's top-tier Fenix outdoor timepiece introduces a potentially lifesaving feature: phone-free communication and emergency alerts using 4G LTE or satellite links.
This Fenix 8 Pro enhances the already outstanding Fenix 8 by adding cutting-edge mobile technology, along with an available state-of-the-art microLED display in a special edition. It is the brand's top model and engineered to be the only tool needed to explore almost any location and monitor every activity.
This positions it as an very pricey proposition, starting at £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 edition with microLED display – almost double the price of the regular Fenix 8.
Users get a lot of features for your investment, with industry-leading workout, movement and adventure tracking. The complete offline mapping of the globe can automatically direct you back to the path if you get lost absent a phone, and look great on the sizable, sharp and high-luminance display.
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 reviewed boasts an extra day of watch battery life even with the display on all the time, lasting a solid eight to nine days between charging.
Phone-Free Messaging, Calls and Real-Time Location
Garmin operates its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and satellite service plan rather than relying on a watch plan linked to your mobile provider, like other smartwatches. But unlike competing satellite-capable products, SOS messaging is not provided for no cost.
Instead, plans start at £7.99 or similar a month, which provides unlimited LTE text and voice messages, call functionality and LiveTrack position tracking – so your friends or loved ones can monitor you while out running, biking or similar activities – along with SOS orbital SOS messaging.
Check-ins and texts over orbital are then charged on top, with more expensive plans offering different allowances of orbital use, increasing to a £50 a month all-inclusive plan. The watch includes a 30-day trial period so you can evaluate the functionality.
After you have got it set up, you just head out outside 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 make and take calls, send texts and generally stay connected with your relatives and companions.
Whenever you message someone, Garmin sends them an SMS from a random number, which they can reply to directly to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger application, you can then communicate back and forth via text or spoken messages, and initiate voice calls. Your recipient is not required to have a Garmin profile to use the Messenger app, only a phone 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 use to speed things up. Spoken recordings and calls perform OK, though as with most wearables, you’re not going to wish to use it for extended conversations as the audio clarity is less than fantastic.
LiveTrack is the handiest feature. You can set it up to automatically send a link to selected contacts whenever you start an exercise, so they can follow your live location on a map. It’s excellent for following race progress, but it primarily acts as a tool for someone you trust to know your whereabouts in case something happens. It has typically functioned effectively, although the actual position has occasionally lagged when transitioning in and out of good LTE signal.
These features are available on other Garmin watches if you carry your phone with you, but in areas where LTE does not reach, the orbital kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, location updates and emergency SOS.
A guide shows you how to locate the clear view to the satellite, which then transmits and gets communications within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was unexpectedly easy to use and could be a crucial safety feature, though it is important to remember that orbital coverage is restricted to the US continent, the majority of Canada, and the majority of Europe excluding regions of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees latitude.
Environmental Impact
The watch is typically repairable with options available via the customer service site. The battery is certified to maintain at least 90% of its initial power after two years of weekly charging. The watch does not contain any recycled components. Garmin provides 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 subscription plans cost from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Conclusion
The Fenix 8 Pro takes a fantastic adventure watch in the standard Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for messaging, calls and LiveTrack – along with satellite messaging, check-in and emergency SOS for when you’re without signal.
The result is an increasingly impressive adventure device for those that desire to be phone-free. If you wish to have someone keep an eye on you from afar while exercising out at night or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin accomplishes this without needing anything else.
It is very freeing to be outdoors without a phone, but that capability carries quite a price, both in terms of the substantial cost of the watch and the recurring fee of the inReach service to provide the service. At least it isn’t dependent on your phone provider so works with any make of smartphone and network.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier device for someone who hates being burdened by their phone when running, cycling or hiking, but still desires to be locatable and reachable. For other users, it is a significant money when the superb Fenix 8 already exists.
Pros: LTE and orbital communication, high-luminance OLED display, tracks all activities with premier GPS, built-in flashlight, phone and standalone commands, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, complete offline maps and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre underwater use, buttons and touchscreen.
Drawbacks: extremely expensive, LTE and orbital features require ongoing payment, limited Garmin Pay bank support, speech features are sluggish, limited smartwatch features versus competing watches.
