This latest version of the top-tier Fenix outdoor timepiece includes a potentially lifesaving feature: no-phone communication and emergency messaging via 4G LTE or satellite connections.
This Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the previously impressive Fenix 8 by incorporating new mobile technology, plus an optional state-of-the-art microLED display in a special edition. It is Garmin's top model and designed to be the single tool needed to venture almost anywhere and track every activity.
That positions it as an very expensive proposition, priced from £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED version and reaching a colossal £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm variant with microLED screen – nearly double the cost of the regular Fenix 8.
Users receive a significant features for your money, with best-in-class fitness, activity and adventure monitoring. Its full offline mapping of the world can seamlessly guide you return to the path if you get lost without a phone, and appear great on the sizable, sharp and high-luminance touchscreen.
The Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively offered in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, omitting the more compact 43mm version found in other devices, so it is a large watch for bigger wrists. But the 47mm OLED version as reviewed boasts an additional day of watch battery life despite the display on all the time, lasting a reliable eight to nine days between charging.
Phone-Free Texting, Calling and Real-Time Location
Garmin uses its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and orbital service service instead of depending on a watch plan tied to your phone provider, as with other smartwatches. However in contrast to Apple or Google's satellite-capable products, emergency communication is not provided for free.
Rather, subscriptions start at £7.99 or similar a month, which provides unlimited LTE SMS and audio messages, calls and LiveTrack position tracking – so your friends or loved ones can keep an eye on you while out jogging, biking or comparable pursuits – plus emergency satellite SOS messaging.
Check-ins and texts over orbital are then billed additionally, with higher-tier plans including various quotas of satellite usage, increasing to a £50 a month all-inclusive plan. The watch includes a 30-day trial period so you can evaluate the service.
Once you have completed setup, you just venture the door minus your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You cannot use it for playing music or comparable activities, but you are able to make and take calls, dispatch texts and generally stay connected with your family and friends.
When you message someone, Garmin sends them an SMS from a arbitrary phone number, which they can reply to back to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger app, you can then message back and forth via text or spoken messages, and initiate voice calls. Your recipient does not need a Garmin profile to use the Messenger application, only a mobile number is sufficient to register for texts.
Messaging on the watch functions fine but composing texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is slow. It has a collection of customisable canned replies you can use to speed things up. Spoken messages and calls perform acceptably, although as with most wearables, you’re unlikely going to wish to use it for lengthy conversations as the audio clarity is less than ideal.
LiveTrack is the handiest function. You can set it up to automatically transmit a URL to chosen contacts whenever you begin an activity, so they can follow your real time location on a map. It’s excellent for following race performance, but it mostly acts as a tool for someone you trust to be aware of your whereabouts in case something happens. It has generally worked effectively, although the actual location has occasionally lagged when moving in and out of good LTE coverage.
All of these features are available on other Garmin watches if you bring your phone with you, but in locations where LTE does not reach, the satellite activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, location check-ins and SOS SOS.
A guide displays you how to find the line of sight to the orbital system, which then transmits and gets 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 remember that satellite coverage is limited to the US mainland, most of Canada, and the majority of Europe excluding regions of Scandinavia above 65 degrees latitude.
Environmental Impact
The watch is generally serviceable with options offered through the support site. The battery is certified to maintain at least 90% of its initial power after two years of regular charging. The watch lacks any recycled components. Garmin provides disposal schemes on recent purchases.
Price
This Fenix 8 Pro is priced from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The optional Garmin inReach subscription packages begin from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Conclusion
The Fenix 8 Pro builds on a excellent outdoor watch in the standard Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for texting, call functionality and LiveTrack – along with orbital messaging, check-in and SOS SOS for when you’re without signal.
Outcome is an increasingly remarkable outdoor device for those that desire to be unplugged. If you want to have someone keep an eye on you from afar while running after dark or in the remote areas, the Garmin does so without needing anything else.
This is very liberating to be outside without a phone, but that functionality carries quite a price, both in terms of the colossal price of the watch and the recurring fee of the inReach plan to provide the service. Fortunately it isn’t dependent on your phone carrier so functions with all make of smartphone and carrier.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a killer device for someone who dislikes being weighed down by their phone when running, cycling or hiking, but still desires to be trackable and reachable. For everyone else, it is a lot of expense when the superb Fenix 8 already exists.
Pros: LTE and orbital messaging, high-luminance OLED display, monitors everything with best-in-class GPS, built-in flashlight, voice and standalone commands, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, complete offline mapping and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre diving, physical controls and touch.
Drawbacks: very costly, LTE and orbital functions require ongoing payment, restricted Garmin Pay financial support, voice features are sluggish, limited wearable functionality versus competing watches.
