This newest model of Garmin's top-tier Fenix adventure watch brings a life-saving capability: no-phone communication and emergency alerts using 4G LTE or orbital links.
This Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the previously impressive Fenix 8 by adding cutting-edge mobile tech, along with an available advanced microLED screen in a special edition. This is the brand's top device and engineered to be the single tool required to explore virtually any location and track every activity.
This makes it an extremely 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 display – nearly twice the cost of the regular Fenix 8.
Users receive a significant functionality for your investment, with best-in-class fitness, movement and adventure monitoring. The complete offline mapping of the globe can seamlessly direct you return to the path if you lose your way without a phone, and appear excellent on the sizable, crisp and high-luminance display.
This Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively available in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, omitting the more compact 43mm size available in other models, so it is a big watch for larger wrists. However the 47mm OLED version as tested does have an extra day of smartwatch battery life despite the screen on all the time, enduring a reliable eight to nine days between charging.
Phone-Free Messaging, Calls and Live Tracking
The company uses its own inReach LTE (4G) and satellite service service rather than relying on a watch plan tied to your mobile carrier, like other wearables. But unlike Apple or Google's satellite-enabled products, emergency communication is not provided for no cost.
Instead, subscriptions start at £7.99 or equivalent a month, which includes unlimited LTE SMS and audio messages, calls and LiveTrack location tracking – so your friends or family can keep an eye on you while out running, cycling or comparable activities – plus SOS orbital SOS alerts.
Check-ins and texts via satellite are then billed on top, with more expensive subscriptions offering various allowances of satellite usage, climbing to a £50 a month unlimited subscription. The watch comes with a 30-day free trial so you can evaluate the service.
Once you have got it set up, you just venture outside without your phone and the watch will link to LTE. You can not use it for playing music or comparable activities, but you can make and take calls, dispatch texts and overall keep in touch with your family and friends.
Whenever you message someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a arbitrary phone number, which they can reply to directly to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger application, you can then message back and forth using typed or voice communications, and initiate voice calls. Your contact is not required to have a Garmin profile to use the Messenger application, only a phone number is sufficient to sign up for texts.
Messaging on the watch functions adequately but typing out texts on the small on-screen keyboard is slow. It has a collection of customisable canned responses you can send to expedite communication. Voice messages and calls work OK, though as with the majority of wearables, you’re not going to want to use it for extended discussions as the quality is not ideal.
LiveTrack is the most useful function. You can configure to on its own send a link to chosen contacts whenever you begin an exercise, so they can track your live position on a map. It’s excellent for following competition performance, but it mostly acts as a utility for someone you rely on to know your whereabouts in case something happens. It has generally worked effectively, although the actual location has occasionally been delayed when transitioning in and out of good LTE coverage.
These features are accessible on other Garmin devices if you bring your phone with you, but in locations 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 clear view to the satellite, which then sends and receives messages within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was unexpectedly straightforward to use and could be a crucial lifeline, however it is important to remember that orbital coverage is restricted to the US continent, the majority of Canada, and the majority of Europe excluding parts of Scandinavia above 65 degrees north.
Sustainability
The watch is generally repairable with options offered through the support site. The battery is certified to retain at least 90% of its original power after two years of weekly charging. The watch lacks any reused components. Garmin provides 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 plans cost from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Verdict
The Fenix 8 Pro takes a excellent adventure watch in the regular Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for texting, calls and LiveTrack – plus orbital communication, location update and SOS SOS for when you’re without coverage.
The result is an increasingly remarkable adventure tool for those that desire to be unplugged. If you want to have someone monitor you remotely while running after dark or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin does so without requiring anything else.
This is very liberating to be outdoors without a phone, but that functionality comes at a significant price, both in terms of the substantial cost of the watch and the monthly fee of the inReach service to provide the service. Fortunately it is not reliant on your phone provider so functions with any make of smartphone and network.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier device for someone who dislikes being burdened by their phone when jogging, biking or hiking, but nevertheless wants to be locatable and contactable. For other users, it is a lot of expense when the superb Fenix 8 is already available.
Advantages: LTE and orbital messaging, super-bright OLED screen, monitors everything with premier GPS, integrated flashlight, phone and offline voice control, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, full offline mapping and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre underwater use, buttons and touchscreen.
Drawbacks: extremely costly, LTE and satellite features need monthly payment, restricted Garmin Pay financial compatibility, voice features are slow, limited smartwatch features versus Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
