The latest version of Garmin's top-tier Fenix outdoor timepiece introduces a life-saving feature: no-phone communication and SOS alerts using 4G LTE or satellite connections.
This Fenix 8 Pro enhances the previously outstanding Fenix 8 by incorporating new mobile tech, along with an available state-of-the-art microLED display in a special edition. This is Garmin's top model and engineered to be the single tool required to explore virtually anywhere and track all your movements.
That makes it an very pricey proposition, 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 standard Fenix 8.
Users receive a lot of functionality for your money, with industry-leading fitness, activity and adventure monitoring. Its complete offline maps of the globe can seamlessly direct you back to the path if you get lost without a phone, and appear great on the large, crisp and super-bright touchscreen.
This Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively available in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, omitting the smaller 43mm version found in other models, so it is a big watch for bigger wrists. However the 47mm OLED version as tested boasts an extra day of smartwatch battery life even with the screen always active, enduring a reliable eight to nine days between charges.
Phone-Free Texting, Calls and Live Tracking
The company operates its own inReach LTE (4G) and satellite subscription service rather than relying on a watch plan tied to your phone carrier, like other wearables. However in contrast to competing satellite-capable devices, SOS messaging is not provided for free.
Rather, plans start at £7.99 or equivalent a month, which provides unlimited LTE text and voice messaging, calls and LiveTrack location tracking – so your friends or loved ones can monitor you while out running, cycling or similar activities – along with emergency orbital SOS messaging.
Location updates and messages over orbital are then billed additionally, with more expensive plans offering different quotas of satellite usage, climbing to a £50 a month unlimited plan. The watch comes with a 30-day free trial so you can evaluate the service.
Once you have completed setup, you simply venture outside without your phone and the watch will link to LTE. You can not use it for playing music or similar tasks, but you can make and take calls, dispatch texts and generally stay connected with your relatives and friends.
Whenever you message someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a arbitrary phone number, which they can respond to directly to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger application, you can then communicate reciprocally using typed or spoken messages, and initiate voice calls. Your recipient does not need a Garmin profile to use the Messenger app, only a phone number is sufficient to sign up for texts.
Messaging on the watch works fine but typing out texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It has a set of personalizable canned replies you can send to expedite communication. Spoken recordings and calls work acceptably, although as with most smartwatches, you’re not going to wish to use it for lengthy conversations as the quality is less than fantastic.
LiveTrack is the handiest function. You can configure to on its own transmit a URL to chosen contacts every time you start an exercise, so they can follow your real time location on a map. It’s excellent for following race progress, but it mostly serves as a tool for someone you trust to know your whereabouts in case something happens. It has generally worked well, although the real location has occasionally been delayed when moving in and out of good LTE coverage.
All of these features are accessible on other Garmin devices if you bring your phone with you, but in areas where LTE lacks coverage, the satellite kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, position check-ins and emergency SOS.
A guide displays you how to locate the line of sight 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 lifeline, however it is important to note that satellite coverage is limited to the US continent, the majority of Canada, and the majority of Europe except for regions of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees north.
Environmental Impact
The watch is typically serviceable with services offered through the customer service portal. The battery is rated to retain at least 90% of its original capacity after two years of regular charging. The watch does not contain any recycled materials. Garmin offers recycling schemes on new purchases.
Cost
The Fenix 8 Pro is priced 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).
Verdict
The Fenix 8 Pro builds on a excellent outdoor watch in the standard Fenix 8 and adds LTE for messaging, call functionality and LiveTrack – plus orbital communication, check-in and SOS SOS for when you’re out of coverage.
The result is an even more remarkable adventure 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 additional gear.
This is very freeing to be outdoors without a phone, but that functionality carries a significant price, both in terms of the substantial cost of the watch and the monthly fee of the inReach service to enable the features. Fortunately it isn’t reliant on your phone carrier so functions with any make of smartphone and network.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier device for someone who hates being weighed down by their phone when jogging, cycling or trekking, but nevertheless desires to be locatable and contactable. For other users, it is a lot of expense when the superb Fenix 8 already exists.
Pros: LTE and orbital communication, high-luminance OLED display, monitors all activities with premier GPS, built-in torch, phone and standalone voice control, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, full offline maps and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre diving, buttons and touch.
Cons: extremely costly, LTE and orbital functions need monthly subscription, limited Garmin Pay financial compatibility, speech capabilities are slow, basic smartwatch functionality versus competing watches.
