The latest version of Garmin's top-tier Fenix adventure watch includes a potentially lifesaving capability: no-phone messaging and emergency alerts via 4G LTE or satellite links.
The Fenix 8 Pro builds upon the already impressive Fenix 8 by adding new mobile technology, plus an available advanced microLED display in a special edition. It is the brand's premier device and designed to be the only tool required to explore almost anywhere and track every activity.
That makes it an very pricey proposition, priced from £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED model and climbing to a substantial £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm edition with microLED screen – nearly double the cost of the regular Fenix 8.
You do get a significant functionality for your investment, with best-in-class workout, activity and outdoor tracking. The full offline mapping of the world can automatically direct you return to the trail if you get lost without a phone, and appear excellent on the large, sharp and high-luminance touchscreen.
The 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 big watch for bigger wrists. However the 47mm OLED model as tested does have an extra day of watch battery life despite the screen on all the time, enduring a solid eight to nine days between charges.
Phone-Free Messaging, Calls and Real-Time Location
Garmin operates its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and orbital service service instead of depending on a watch plan linked to your phone carrier, like other smartwatches. However in contrast to Apple or Google's satellite-capable devices, emergency communication is not provided for free.
Rather, subscriptions start at £7.99 or similar a month, which provides unlimited LTE text and audio messages, call functionality and LiveTrack position tracking – so your friends or loved ones can monitor you while out jogging, biking or comparable activities – along with SOS orbital SOS alerts.
Check-ins and texts over satellite are then billed on top, with higher-tier subscriptions offering various quotas of orbital usage, increasing to a £50 a month unlimited plan. The watch comes with a 30-day trial period so you can evaluate the service.
Once you have completed setup, you just head out outside without your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You can not use it for streaming music or comparable tasks, but you are able to make and take calls, dispatch texts and overall stay connected with your relatives and friends.
Whenever you text someone, Garmin dispatches 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 message back and forth via text or voice communications, and initiate voice calls. Your contact is not required to have a Garmin profile to use the Messenger application, just a phone number is sufficient to sign up for texts.
Messaging on the watch works adequately but composing texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It has a collection of customisable canned responses you can send to expedite communication. Voice recordings and calls work OK, though as with most wearables, you’re not going to wish to use it for extended conversations as the audio clarity is less than fantastic.
LiveTrack is the handiest function. You can configure to on its own transmit a link to selected contacts whenever you begin an exercise, so they can follow your live position on a map. It’s excellent for monitoring competition performance, but it primarily acts as a tool for someone you rely on to be aware of your whereabouts in case something happens. It has typically worked well, though the actual location has occasionally been delayed when moving in and out of good LTE coverage.
These features are available on other Garmin watches if you carry your phone with you, but in locations where LTE does not reach, the orbital kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, location check-ins and emergency SOS.
A guide 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 safety feature, though it is important to note that satellite service is limited to the US mainland, most of Canada, and most of Europe except for regions of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees north.
Sustainability
The watch is typically repairable with services available via the support portal. The battery is certified to maintain at least 90% of its initial capacity after two years of weekly charging. The watch does not contain any reused materials. Garmin offers disposal programs on recent purchases.
Cost
This 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).
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 communication, check-in and SOS SOS for when you’re out of coverage.
Outcome is an increasingly impressive adventure tool for those that desire to be unplugged. If you want to have someone keep an eye on you remotely while running after dark or in the remote areas, the Garmin does so without requiring anything else.
This is very freeing to be outside without a phone, but that functionality carries a significant price, both in terms of the colossal price of the watch and the recurring subscription of the inReach service to provide the service. At least it is not dependent on your phone carrier so functions with any brand of smartphone and carrier.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a killer device for someone who hates being weighed down by their phone when jogging, cycling or trekking, but nevertheless wants to be trackable and reachable. For other users, it is a significant money when the excellent Fenix 8 is already available.
Advantages: LTE and orbital communication, super-bright OLED display, monitors everything with best-in-class GPS, built-in torch, voice and standalone commands, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, complete offline maps and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre underwater use, buttons and touch.
Cons: very costly, LTE and orbital features require monthly payment, limited Garmin Pay bank support, speech capabilities are sluggish, limited smartwatch features compared with competing watches.
