The latest iteration of Garmin's premium Fenix outdoor timepiece includes a life-saving feature: phone-free communication and emergency messaging using 4G LTE or orbital links.
This Fenix 8 Pro builds upon the previously outstanding Fenix 8 by adding cutting-edge cellular technology, plus an optional advanced microLED display in a special edition. This is Garmin's premier model and designed to be the single gadget required to explore virtually any location and monitor every activity.
This makes it an very pricey option, starting at £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED model and reaching a colossal £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm edition with microLED display – almost twice the price of the regular Fenix 8.
You do receive a lot of features for your money, with industry-leading workout, movement and outdoor monitoring. Its complete offline maps of the globe can seamlessly direct you return to the trail if you lose your way without a phone, and look excellent on the large, crisp and high-luminance display.
The Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively available in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, omitting the more compact 43mm version available in other devices, so it is a big 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 reliable eight to nine days between charges.
Phone-Free Messaging, Calls and Live Tracking
Garmin operates its own inReach LTE (4G) and satellite service plan rather than depending on a watch plan linked to your phone carrier, like other wearables. However unlike competing satellite-enabled devices, SOS communication is not provided for no cost.
Instead, plans begin from £7.99 or equivalent a month, which includes limitless LTE SMS and audio messages, calls and LiveTrack position sharing – so your friends or loved ones can monitor you while engaged in jogging, biking or comparable pursuits – along with emergency satellite SOS messaging.
Location updates and messages over orbital are then billed additionally, with more expensive subscriptions offering various quotas of orbital usage, 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 completed setup, you just 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 make and take calls, dispatch texts and generally stay connected with your family and companions.
When you message someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a arbitrary phone number, which they can reply to directly to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger application, you can then message reciprocally via typed or spoken communications, and make voice calls. Your contact is not required to have a Garmin profile to use the Messenger app, only a mobile number is enough to sign up for texts.
Texting on the watch functions fine but composing texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It includes a collection of personalizable pre-set replies you can send to speed things up. Voice messages and calls perform acceptably, although as with most wearables, you’re not going to want to use it for extended conversations as the audio clarity is not fantastic.
LiveTrack is the handiest feature. You can set it up to on its own send a URL to selected contacts every time you begin an exercise, so they can follow your real time position on a map. It’s great for following race progress, but it mostly serves as a tool for someone you trust to know your location in case an incident occurs. It has typically functioned well, though the real location has sometimes lagged when moving in and out of strong LTE coverage.
All of these capabilities are available on other Garmin watches if you bring your phone with you, but in areas where LTE lacks coverage, the orbital kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, position updates and SOS SOS.
A guide displays you how to locate the clear view to the satellite, which then transmits and gets messages within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was surprisingly easy to use and could be a crucial lifeline, however it is essential to remember that orbital service is restricted to the US continent, most of Canada, and most of Europe excluding 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 maintain at least 90% of its original power after two years of regular charging. The watch does not contain any reused materials. Garmin provides disposal schemes on recent purchases.
Cost
This Fenix 8 Pro costs from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The optional Garmin inReach service packages cost from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Conclusion
This Fenix 8 Pro takes a fantastic adventure watch in the regular Fenix 8 and adds LTE for texting, call functionality and LiveTrack – along with satellite messaging, location update and SOS SOS for when you’re without signal.
Outcome is an even more remarkable outdoor 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 functionality carries a significant price, both in terms of the colossal price of the watch and the monthly fee of the inReach service to enable the service. At least it is not dependent on your phone provider so works with all brand of smartphone and network.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a killer gadget for someone who hates being weighed down by their phone when running, biking or trekking, but still desires to be locatable and reachable. For everyone else, it is a significant expense when the superb Fenix 8 is already available.
Advantages: LTE and satellite messaging, high-luminance OLED display, tracks everything with premier GPS, integrated torch, phone and offline voice control, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, complete offline maps and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre diving, buttons and touchscreen.
Drawbacks: extremely costly, LTE and satellite functions require monthly subscription, limited Garmin Pay financial support, speech features are sluggish, limited smartwatch features compared with Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
