This newest model of Garmin's premium Fenix outdoor timepiece includes a potentially lifesaving feature: no-phone communication and emergency alerts using 4G LTE or orbital links.
This Fenix 8 Pro enhances the already impressive Fenix 8 by incorporating new mobile tech, along with an available advanced microLED display in a special edition. This is the brand's premier model and designed to be the single gadget required to explore virtually any location and monitor every activity.
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 colossal £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm edition with microLED screen – almost twice the price of the regular Fenix 8.
You do get a lot of functionality for your investment, with best-in-class fitness, activity and adventure monitoring. The complete offline mapping of the globe can seamlessly direct you return to the path if you get lost absent a phone, and look great on the sizable, crisp and super-bright display.
The Fenix 8 Pro is only available in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, omitting the more compact 43mm version available in other models, so it is a large watch for bigger wrists. But the 47mm OLED version as reviewed boasts an additional day of smartwatch battery life even with the display on all the time, enduring a reliable eight to nine days between charging.
No-Phone Texting, Calls and Real-Time Location
The company operates its own inReach LTE (4G) and satellite service service instead of depending on a watch plan tied to your phone provider, as with other wearables. However unlike competing satellite-capable products, SOS communication is not provided for no cost.
Rather, plans begin from £7.99 or equivalent a month, which includes limitless LTE text and voice messaging, call functionality and LiveTrack location sharing – so your friends or family can monitor you while out jogging, cycling or comparable activities – along with SOS satellite SOS messaging.
Location updates and messages over satellite are then charged on top, with more expensive plans offering different allowances of orbital use, climbing to a £50 a month unlimited subscription. The watch comes with a 30-day trial period so you can evaluate the service.
After you have got it set up, you simply head out the door without your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You can not use it for streaming music or comparable activities, but you are able to make and take calls, dispatch texts and generally stay connected with your relatives and friends.
When you message someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a random phone number, which they can respond to directly to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger application, you can then communicate back and forth using typed or voice messages, and initiate voice calls. Your recipient is not required to have a Garmin account to use the Messenger app, only a phone number is sufficient to sign up for texts.
Texting on the watch functions adequately but composing texts on the small on-screen keyboard is slow. It includes a set of personalizable pre-set replies you can use to speed things up. Spoken recordings and calls work OK, though as with most wearables, you’re unlikely going to wish to use it for lengthy conversations as the audio clarity is less than fantastic.
LiveTrack is the handiest function. You can set it up to automatically transmit a link to selected contacts whenever you begin an activity, so they can track your live location on a map. It’s excellent for following competition progress, but it mostly acts as a utility for someone you trust to know your location in case something happens. It has generally worked effectively, though the actual location has occasionally been delayed when transitioning in and out of good LTE coverage.
These features are available on other Garmin devices if you bring 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 shows 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 surprisingly straightforward to use and could be a vital lifeline, though it is important to remember that satellite service is limited to the US mainland, most of Canada, and most of Europe except for parts of Scandinavia above 65 degrees latitude.
Environmental Impact
The watch is generally serviceable with services offered through the customer service site. The battery is rated to retain at least 90% of its initial capacity after two years of weekly charging. The watch does not contain any recycled materials. Garmin provides recycling schemes on new purchases.
Cost
The Fenix 8 Pro is priced from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The additional Garmin inReach service plans begin from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Verdict
This Fenix 8 Pro builds on a fantastic outdoor watch in the standard Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for messaging, calls and LiveTrack – along with satellite communication, location update and SOS SOS for when you’re without coverage.
Outcome is an even more impressive outdoor tool for those that want to be unplugged. If you want to have someone monitor you remotely while running out at night or in the remote areas, the Garmin does so without requiring additional gear.
It is very liberating to be outside without a phone, but that functionality carries quite a cost, both in terms of the substantial cost 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 functions with any make of smartphone and network.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier gadget for someone who hates being weighed down by their phone when jogging, biking or trekking, but nevertheless desires to be locatable and reachable. For other users, it is a significant expense when the superb Fenix 8 is already available.
Pros: LTE and orbital communication, super-bright OLED screen, monitors everything with premier GPS, integrated torch, voice and offline 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: extremely costly, LTE and orbital functions need ongoing payment, limited Garmin Pay financial support, voice capabilities are slow, limited smartwatch features compared with competing watches.
