The latest version of Garmin's flagship Fenix outdoor timepiece brings a life-saving feature: phone-free communication and SOS alerts using 4G LTE or satellite links.
This Fenix 8 Pro enhances the already impressive Fenix 8 by incorporating new cellular tech, along with an optional advanced microLED screen in a limited edition. This is Garmin's premier device and engineered to be the single tool needed to venture almost anywhere and monitor every activity.
This positions it as an very expensive proposition, priced from £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED version and climbing to a colossal £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm variant with microLED screen – nearly twice the price of the regular Fenix 8.
You do receive a lot of features for your investment, with best-in-class workout, activity and adventure tracking. Its complete offline maps of the globe can seamlessly direct you return to the trail if you get lost absent a phone, and look great on the large, crisp and high-luminance display.
This Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively available in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, not the more compact 43mm size found in other devices, so it is a large watch for larger wrists. However the 47mm OLED version as tested boasts an additional day of smartwatch battery life even with the display always active, enduring a solid eight to nine days between charging.
Phone-Free Texting, Calling and Live Tracking
Garmin operates its own inReach LTE (4G) and orbital service service instead of depending on a watch plan tied to your phone provider, like other wearables. However unlike Apple or Google's satellite-capable devices, emergency communication is not provided for free.
Rather, subscriptions begin from £7.99 or similar a month, which includes unlimited LTE SMS and voice messages, calls and LiveTrack location tracking – so your contacts or family can keep an eye on you while out running, cycling or comparable pursuits – plus SOS orbital SOS messaging.
Check-ins and messages over satellite are then billed on top, with higher-tier subscriptions including various quotas of orbital use, increasing to a £50 a month all-inclusive plan. The watch includes a 30-day free trial so you can evaluate the functionality.
Once you have completed setup, you simply venture outside minus your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You cannot use it for playing music or comparable activities, but you can make and take calls, dispatch texts and generally keep in touch with your relatives and companions.
Whenever you message someone, Garmin sends them an SMS from a random number, which they can respond to back to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger application, you can then communicate back and forth via typed or voice communications, and initiate voice calls. Your recipient is not required to have a Garmin profile to use the Messenger app, just a mobile number is sufficient to sign up for texts.
Texting on the watch works adequately but typing out texts on the small on-screen keyboard is slow. It includes a collection of personalizable canned responses you can send to speed things up. Spoken messages and calls work OK, although as with most smartwatches, you’re unlikely going to want 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 whenever you begin an activity, so they can follow your live location on a map. It’s great for following competition progress, but it mostly acts as a utility for someone you trust to know your whereabouts in case something happens. It has typically functioned well, though the real position has sometimes lagged when moving in and out of good LTE signal.
All of these features are accessible on other Garmin watches if you carry your phone with you, but in areas where LTE does not reach, the orbital kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, location updates and SOS SOS.
A guide displays you how to locate the clear view to the satellite, which then sends and receives messages within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was surprisingly straightforward to use and could be a vital safety feature, however it is important to remember that satellite coverage is limited to the US mainland, most of Canada, and most of Europe except for regions of Scandinavia above 65 degrees latitude.
Environmental Impact
The watch is generally serviceable with services available 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 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 optional Garmin inReach service packages cost from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Conclusion
The Fenix 8 Pro builds on a excellent outdoor watch in the regular Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for messaging, call functionality and LiveTrack – plus orbital messaging, location update and emergency SOS for when you’re without signal.
Outcome is an increasingly impressive adventure device for those that want to be phone-free. If you wish to have someone monitor you remotely while running after dark or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin does so without requiring additional gear.
It is very liberating to be outdoors without a phone, but that capability carries a significant cost, both in terms of the substantial price of the watch and the recurring fee of the inReach service to enable the service. At least it isn’t reliant on your phone carrier so functions with all brand of smartphone and carrier.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a killer device for someone who hates being burdened by their phone when jogging, biking or trekking, but nevertheless desires to be locatable and reachable. For everyone else, it is a significant money when the superb Fenix 8 already exists.
Advantages: LTE and satellite communication, high-luminance OLED display, monitors all activities with premier GPS, integrated flashlight, voice and offline commands, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, full offline mapping and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre diving, buttons and touchscreen.
Drawbacks: extremely costly, LTE and orbital features require ongoing subscription, limited Garmin Pay bank support, voice capabilities are sluggish, basic smartwatch functionality versus Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
