This newest version of Garmin's premium Fenix outdoor timepiece includes a potentially lifesaving feature: phone-free communication and emergency messaging using 4G LTE or orbital connections.
The Fenix 8 Pro builds upon the already impressive Fenix 8 by incorporating new mobile tech, along with an available state-of-the-art microLED screen in a limited edition. This is Garmin's premier model and engineered to be the single gadget required to venture almost any location and track all your movements.
This positions it as an very pricey option, 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 display – almost double the price of the standard Fenix 8.
You do receive a significant functionality for your money, with industry-leading fitness, activity and adventure tracking. Its full offline mapping of the world can seamlessly guide you return to the path if you lose your way absent a phone, and look great on the large, crisp and high-luminance touchscreen.
This Fenix 8 Pro is only available in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, not the smaller 43mm version available in other devices, so it is a large watch for bigger wrists. However the 47mm OLED version as tested boasts an extra day of smartwatch battery life despite the screen on all the time, lasting a reliable eight to nine days between charging.
No-Phone Messaging, Calling and Real-Time Location
The company operates its own inReach LTE (4G) and orbital service plan instead of relying on a watch plan tied to your mobile carrier, like other wearables. However unlike Apple or Google's satellite-enabled devices, emergency communication is not provided for no cost.
Rather, plans start at £7.99 or similar a month, which provides unlimited LTE SMS and voice messages, call functionality and LiveTrack position tracking – so your friends or family can monitor you while engaged in jogging, biking or comparable pursuits – along with SOS satellite SOS messaging.
Check-ins and messages over satellite are then charged additionally, with higher-tier plans offering various quotas of orbital use, climbing to a £50 a month all-inclusive subscription. The watch comes with a 30-day free trial so you can evaluate the service.
After you have got it set up, you simply head out the door without your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You cannot use it for playing music or similar activities, but you can make and take calls, send texts and generally keep in touch with your family and companions.
When you text someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a random phone number, which they can respond to back to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger app, you can then message back and forth via text or spoken communications, and make voice calls. Your recipient does not need a Garmin profile to use the Messenger app, just a mobile number is enough to register for texts.
Messaging on the watch works fine but typing out texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is slow. It includes a collection of customisable pre-set replies you can use to speed things up. Spoken messages and calls work OK, though as with most smartwatches, you’re unlikely going to wish to use it for extended conversations as the audio clarity is less than fantastic.
LiveTrack is the most useful function. You can configure to automatically transmit a URL to chosen contacts every time you begin an exercise, so they can follow your real time location on a map. It’s excellent for following competition progress, but it primarily acts as a tool for someone you trust to know your location in case something happens. It has generally functioned effectively, although the actual location has occasionally been delayed when moving in and out of good LTE signal.
All of these capabilities are available on other Garmin devices if you bring your phone with you, but in areas where LTE does not reach, the satellite kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, location check-ins and SOS SOS.
A guide displays you how to find the clear view to the orbital system, 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 essential to remember that satellite coverage is restricted to the US continent, most of Canada, and most of Europe except for parts of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees latitude.
Sustainability
The watch is typically repairable with services available through the customer service site. The battery is certified to retain at least 90% of its original power after two years of weekly charging. The watch lacks any recycled components. Garmin offers disposal schemes on recent purchases.
Price
The Fenix 8 Pro is priced from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The additional Garmin inReach service plans begin from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Conclusion
This Fenix 8 Pro takes a excellent outdoor watch in the standard Fenix 8 and adds LTE for texting, calls and LiveTrack – along with satellite messaging, location update and emergency SOS for when you’re without signal.
Outcome is an increasingly remarkable adventure device for those that desire to be phone-free. If you wish to have someone keep an eye on you from afar while running after dark or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin does so without needing anything else.
This is very freeing to be outdoors without a phone, but that capability carries quite a cost, both in terms of the colossal price of the watch and the recurring subscription of the inReach plan to provide the features. Fortunately it isn’t dependent on your phone provider so functions with any brand of smartphone and network.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier gadget for someone who dislikes being burdened by their phone when running, cycling or hiking, but still desires to be trackable and contactable. For other users, it is a significant expense when the superb Fenix 8 is already available.
Pros: LTE and satellite messaging, high-luminance OLED screen, monitors everything with premier GPS, built-in flashlight, phone and standalone commands, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, complete offline maps and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre diving, physical controls and touch.
Drawbacks: very costly, LTE and orbital functions need monthly payment, restricted Garmin Pay financial compatibility, speech features are slow, basic smartwatch features compared with Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
