The latest version of the flagship Fenix adventure watch brings a life-saving feature: phone-free messaging and emergency alerts via 4G LTE or satellite links.
The Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the already impressive Fenix 8 by incorporating new cellular technology, along with an optional advanced microLED display in a special edition. This is Garmin's premier device and engineered to be the only gadget required to explore virtually any location and track every activity.
This positions it as an extremely 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 variant with microLED display – nearly twice the price of the regular Fenix 8.
You do get a lot of functionality for your money, with best-in-class fitness, activity and outdoor tracking. The complete offline maps of the globe can automatically direct you back to the path if you get lost absent a phone, and appear excellent on the sizable, sharp and high-luminance display.
The Fenix 8 Pro is only available in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, not the more compact 43mm version found in other devices, so it is a big watch for larger wrists. But the 47mm OLED version as reviewed boasts an extra day of smartwatch battery life despite the display on all the time, lasting a reliable eight to nine days between charges.
No-Phone Texting, Calling and Live Tracking
Garmin operates its own inReach LTE (4G) and satellite service service instead of depending on a watch plan tied to your mobile carrier, as with other smartwatches. But unlike competing satellite-enabled products, emergency messaging is not included for no cost.
Instead, plans start at £7.99 or equivalent a month, which provides limitless LTE text and audio messages, call functionality and LiveTrack position sharing – so your friends or family can monitor you while engaged in running, biking or comparable pursuits – plus SOS satellite SOS alerts.
Location updates and texts via satellite are then billed on top, with higher-tier plans offering various allowances of orbital usage, increasing to a £50 a month all-inclusive plan. The watch comes with a 30-day trial period so you can evaluate the service.
After you have got it set up, you just head out outside minus your phone and the watch will link to LTE. You can not use it for playing music or similar activities, but you are able to make and take calls, dispatch texts and overall keep in touch with your relatives and companions.
Whenever you message someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a arbitrary number, which they can respond to directly to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger application, you can then message back and forth via text or voice communications, and make voice calls. Your recipient is not required to have a Garmin account to use the Messenger application, just a mobile number is sufficient to register for texts.
Texting on the watch works fine but composing texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It has a set of customisable canned responses you can use to speed things up. Voice messages and calls work OK, although as with the majority of smartwatches, you’re unlikely going to want to use it for extended discussions as the audio clarity is not fantastic.
LiveTrack is the most useful function. You can configure to on its own send a URL to selected contacts every time you start an exercise, so they can track your live position on a map. It’s excellent for monitoring competition performance, but it primarily serves as a tool for someone you rely on to know your whereabouts in case an incident occurs. It has generally worked well, although the actual position has occasionally been delayed when moving in and out of good LTE coverage.
All of these capabilities are accessible on other Garmin watches if you carry your phone with you, but in areas where LTE lacks coverage, the satellite activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, location check-ins and SOS SOS.
A on-screen assistance shows 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 lifeline, though it is important to remember that satellite coverage is limited to the US continent, most of Canada, and most of Europe excluding parts of Scandinavia above 65 degrees latitude.
Environmental Impact
The watch is generally repairable with services available via the customer service site. The battery is rated to retain at least 90% of its original power after two years of regular charging. The watch does not contain any reused materials. Garmin offers recycling programs 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).
Conclusion
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, location update and emergency SOS for when you’re without coverage.
Outcome is an even more impressive adventure device for those that want to be phone-free. If you wish to have someone monitor you from afar while exercising out at night or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin accomplishes this without requiring anything else.
It is very liberating to be outside without a phone, but that capability comes at quite a cost, both in terms of the colossal price of the watch and the recurring subscription of the inReach service to provide the service. Fortunately it isn’t reliant on your phone carrier so works with all make of smartphone and network.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier gadget for someone who hates being weighed down by their phone when jogging, biking or hiking, but nevertheless desires to be locatable and reachable. For everyone else, it is a lot of money when the excellent Fenix 8 is already available.
Pros: LTE and satellite communication, super-bright OLED screen, tracks all activities with best-in-class GPS, integrated torch, voice and standalone voice control, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, complete offline maps and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre underwater use, buttons and touchscreen.
Cons: very costly, LTE and satellite features require monthly subscription, limited Garmin Pay financial support, speech capabilities are sluggish, basic smartwatch functionality compared with competing watches.
