This latest iteration of Garmin's premium Fenix adventure timepiece introduces a potentially lifesaving capability: phone-free communication and emergency alerts using 4G LTE or satellite connections.
This Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the already impressive Fenix 8 by incorporating cutting-edge cellular technology, along with an available advanced microLED screen in a special edition. It is the brand's premier device and designed to be the single gadget required to explore virtually any location and monitor all your movements.
That makes it an very expensive 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 variant with microLED display – nearly twice the cost of the regular Fenix 8.
You do receive a significant functionality for your money, with industry-leading fitness, movement and adventure tracking. The full offline mapping of the globe can seamlessly guide you back to the path if you get lost absent a phone, and appear excellent on the sizable, crisp and high-luminance touchscreen.
The Fenix 8 Pro is only offered in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, omitting the more compact 43mm version found in other devices, so it is a big watch for bigger wrists. However the 47mm OLED version as tested does have an additional day of smartwatch battery life even with the screen on all the time, lasting a solid eight to nine days between charges.
Phone-Free Messaging, Calling and Live Tracking
Garmin operates its own inReach LTE (4G) and orbital service service rather than relying on a watch plan linked to your mobile carrier, like other smartwatches. However unlike competing satellite-capable devices, emergency communication is not provided for free.
Rather, subscriptions begin from £7.99 or similar a month, which includes unlimited LTE text and voice messaging, calls and LiveTrack location tracking – so your friends or loved ones can monitor you while engaged in running, cycling or similar pursuits – plus emergency orbital SOS alerts.
Location updates and texts via orbital are then billed additionally, with more expensive plans offering various quotas of orbital use, climbing to a £50 a month unlimited subscription. The watch comes with a 30-day free trial so you can evaluate the functionality.
Once you have completed setup, you just head out outside minus your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You cannot use it for playing music or similar activities, but you can make and take calls, send texts and generally keep in touch with your family and friends.
Whenever you message someone, Garmin sends them an SMS from a random number, which they can respond to back to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger app, you can then message back and forth via typed or spoken messages, and initiate voice calls. Your contact is not required to have a Garmin profile to use the Messenger application, only a mobile number is enough to sign up for texts.
Texting on the watch works adequately but composing texts on the small on-screen keyboard is slow. It has a collection of personalizable canned replies you can use to speed things up. Spoken recordings and calls work OK, though as with most smartwatches, you’re not going to wish to use it for lengthy conversations as the quality is less than fantastic.
LiveTrack is the most useful feature. You can set it up to automatically transmit a link to selected contacts every time you start an activity, so they can track your real time position on a map. It’s great for monitoring competition performance, but it primarily acts as a tool for someone you trust to know your whereabouts in case an incident occurs. It has generally worked effectively, although the real location has occasionally been delayed when moving in and out of strong LTE coverage.
These features are accessible on other Garmin watches if you bring your phone with you, but in locations where LTE does not reach, the satellite kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, position updates and emergency SOS.
A guide displays you how to find the clear view to the orbital system, which then transmits and gets messages within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was unexpectedly straightforward to use and could be a vital safety feature, however it is important to remember that orbital service is restricted to the US continent, most of Canada, and the majority of Europe excluding regions of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees latitude.
Environmental Impact
The watch is generally serviceable with services offered via the customer service site. The battery is rated to retain at least 90% of its original capacity after two years of regular charging. The watch does not contain any recycled components. Garmin provides recycling programs on new purchases.
Price
The 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).
Verdict
This Fenix 8 Pro takes a excellent adventure watch in the standard Fenix 8 and adds LTE for messaging, call functionality and LiveTrack – plus orbital messaging, location update and emergency SOS for when you’re without signal.
The result is an even more impressive outdoor device for those that want to be unplugged. If you wish to have someone keep an eye on you remotely while running out at night or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin accomplishes this without requiring anything else.
This is quite freeing to be outdoors without a phone, but that capability carries a significant price, both in terms of the substantial cost of the watch and the recurring subscription of the inReach plan to enable the service. Fortunately it isn’t dependent on your phone carrier so functions with all brand of smartphone and carrier.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier device for someone who hates being weighed down by their phone when running, cycling or trekking, but nevertheless desires to be locatable and contactable. For everyone else, it is a lot of expense when the excellent Fenix 8 is already available.
Advantages: LTE and orbital messaging, high-luminance OLED display, monitors everything with premier GPS, integrated flashlight, voice and offline commands, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, full offline maps and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre underwater use, physical controls and touch.
Drawbacks: very costly, LTE and orbital functions need ongoing payment, restricted Garmin Pay bank support, voice capabilities are slow, basic smartwatch features compared with Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
