The newest model of Garmin's flagship Fenix adventure timepiece includes a life-saving 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 adding cutting-edge mobile technology, plus an available advanced microLED screen in a limited edition. It is Garmin's top model and designed to be the single tool needed to venture virtually anywhere and track 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 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.
Users receive a lot of functionality for your money, with best-in-class fitness, activity and outdoor tracking. Its full offline maps of the world can automatically guide you back to the path if you get lost without a phone, and look excellent on the sizable, sharp and super-bright display.
This Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively available in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, not the smaller 43mm size found in other devices, so it is a big watch for larger wrists. However the 47mm OLED version as tested does have an extra day of watch battery life despite the display on all the time, lasting a solid eight to nine days between charges.
No-Phone Messaging, Calling and Live Tracking
Garmin operates its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and orbital subscription service rather than relying on a watch plan tied to your mobile provider, as with other smartwatches. However unlike competing satellite-capable devices, SOS communication is not included for no cost.
Rather, plans start at £7.99 or similar a month, which includes limitless LTE SMS and voice messages, call functionality and LiveTrack location sharing – so your friends or family can monitor you while engaged in jogging, biking or similar pursuits – plus emergency orbital SOS alerts.
Check-ins and texts via orbital are then billed on top, with more expensive plans offering various quotas of orbital usage, increasing to a £50 a month all-inclusive subscription. The watch comes with a 30-day trial period so you can test out the service.
Once 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 similar tasks, but you can place and receive calls, dispatch texts and generally stay connected with your family and friends.
When you text 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 communicate back and forth using typed or voice messages, and make voice calls. Your contact is not required to have a Garmin profile to use the Messenger application, only a mobile number is sufficient to register for texts.
Texting on the watch functions adequately but typing out texts on the small on-screen keyboard is slow. It includes a collection of personalizable pre-set replies you can use to speed things up. Voice recordings and calls work acceptably, although as with the majority of smartwatches, you’re not going to want to use it for lengthy conversations as the audio clarity is not fantastic.
LiveTrack is the most useful feature. You can configure to on its own transmit a link to chosen contacts every time you begin an exercise, so they can track your real time location on a map. It’s excellent for following competition progress, but it primarily acts as a utility for someone you rely on to know your whereabouts in case something happens. It has generally functioned effectively, although the actual location has sometimes been delayed when moving in and out of strong LTE coverage.
All of these features are accessible on other Garmin devices if you carry your phone with you, but in areas where LTE lacks coverage, the orbital kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, location updates and SOS SOS.
A guide shows you how to locate 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 vital safety feature, though it is important to remember that satellite coverage is restricted to the US continent, most of Canada, and most of Europe excluding parts of Scandinavia above 65 degrees north.
Environmental Impact
The watch is generally serviceable with options offered via the support site. The battery is rated to maintain at least 90% of its initial power after two years of weekly charging. The watch lacks any recycled components. Garmin provides disposal schemes on recent purchases.
Cost
This Fenix 8 Pro is priced from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The additional Garmin inReach service packages begin from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Conclusion
The Fenix 8 Pro takes a fantastic outdoor watch in the regular Fenix 8 and adds LTE for texting, calls and LiveTrack – plus orbital communication, check-in and emergency SOS for when you’re out of signal.
The result is an even more remarkable adventure tool for those that want to be unplugged. If you wish to have someone monitor you from afar while running out at night or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin accomplishes this without needing anything else.
It is very liberating to be outside without a phone, but that functionality comes at quite a cost, both in terms of the colossal cost of the watch and the monthly fee of the inReach service to enable the features. Fortunately it isn’t dependent on your phone carrier so functions with any brand of smartphone and network.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a killer gadget for someone who hates being burdened by their phone when jogging, biking or hiking, but still wants to be locatable and contactable. For other users, it is a lot of expense when the excellent Fenix 8 is already available.
Pros: LTE and satellite communication, high-luminance OLED screen, tracks everything with premier GPS, built-in torch, phone and offline voice control, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, complete offline mapping and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre diving, buttons and touch.
Cons: extremely expensive, LTE and orbital functions require ongoing subscription, limited Garmin Pay bank compatibility, speech features are sluggish, basic smartwatch features compared with competing watches.
