The newest model of Garmin's flagship Fenix outdoor timepiece brings a life-saving feature: phone-free messaging and SOS alerts via 4G LTE or orbital connections.
This Fenix 8 Pro enhances the already outstanding Fenix 8 by adding new cellular tech, plus an optional advanced microLED display in a limited edition. It is the brand's top device and engineered to be the only gadget required to explore virtually 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 version and reaching a substantial £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm edition with microLED screen – nearly twice the cost of the standard Fenix 8.
You do receive a significant functionality for your money, with industry-leading fitness, activity and outdoor monitoring. Its full offline maps of the globe can seamlessly direct you back to the path if you lose your way without a phone, and look great on the large, crisp and high-luminance display.
This Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively offered in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, not the more compact 43mm size found in other models, so it is a big watch for bigger wrists. However the 47mm OLED version as reviewed does have an additional day of smartwatch battery life despite the screen always active, lasting a solid eight to nine days between charges.
Phone-Free Texting, Calls and Live Tracking
Garmin uses its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and orbital subscription plan rather than depending on a watch plan linked to your mobile provider, as with other wearables. But unlike competing satellite-capable products, emergency communication is not provided for free.
Instead, subscriptions start at £7.99 or similar a month, which provides unlimited LTE text and voice messages, call functionality and LiveTrack location tracking – so your friends or loved ones can keep an eye on you while out jogging, biking or comparable activities – along with emergency satellite SOS alerts.
Check-ins and texts via orbital are then billed on top, with higher-tier subscriptions including different quotas of orbital use, increasing to a £50 a month unlimited subscription. The watch comes with a 30-day free trial so you can test out the service.
After you have completed setup, you just venture outside minus your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You can not use it for streaming music or similar activities, but you can place and receive calls, send texts and generally stay connected with your family and friends.
When you message someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a random phone number, which they can respond to back to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger application, you can then message reciprocally via typed or voice messages, and make voice calls. Your contact is not required to have a Garmin account to use the Messenger app, only a mobile number is enough to sign up for texts.
Messaging on the watch works fine but composing texts on the small on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It has a set of customisable canned responses you can send to expedite communication. Spoken messages and calls work acceptably, though as with most wearables, you’re unlikely going to wish to use it for lengthy discussions as the quality is not fantastic.
LiveTrack is the most useful feature. You can set it up to on its own transmit a URL to chosen contacts every time you start an exercise, so they can follow your real time position on a map. It’s great for following competition progress, but it primarily serves as a utility for someone you trust to know your location in case an incident occurs. It has generally functioned effectively, though the real position has sometimes lagged when moving in and out of good LTE coverage.
All of these capabilities are accessible on other Garmin devices if you carry your phone with you, but in areas where LTE does not reach, the satellite activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, location check-ins and SOS SOS.
A on-screen assistance shows you how to locate the clear view to the satellite, which then sends and receives communications within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was surprisingly easy to use and could be a vital safety feature, however it is essential to note that orbital service is limited to the US continent, most of Canada, and most of Europe excluding regions of Scandinavia above 65 degrees latitude.
Sustainability
The watch is generally serviceable with options offered through the customer service site. The battery is certified to retain at least 90% of its initial power after two years of weekly charging. The watch does not contain any reused components. Garmin provides disposal schemes on new purchases.
Price
The 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).
Verdict
This Fenix 8 Pro builds on a excellent adventure watch in the regular Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for messaging, calls and LiveTrack – plus orbital communication, check-in and SOS SOS for when you’re without coverage.
Outcome is an increasingly impressive outdoor tool for those that want to be phone-free. If you want to have someone keep an eye on you from afar while exercising 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 carries quite a price, both in terms of the colossal cost of the watch and the recurring subscription of the inReach plan to provide the features. At least it isn’t dependent on your phone carrier so functions with all make of smartphone and network.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a killer gadget for someone who dislikes being weighed down by their phone when jogging, biking or hiking, but nevertheless wants to be trackable and contactable. For other users, it is a lot of expense when the superb Fenix 8 already exists.
Advantages: LTE and satellite communication, high-luminance OLED screen, monitors everything with premier GPS, integrated flashlight, voice and standalone voice control, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, full offline mapping and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre diving, buttons and touchscreen.
Drawbacks: extremely expensive, LTE and satellite features require monthly subscription, limited Garmin Pay financial support, voice features are sluggish, basic wearable functionality versus competing watches.
