The most recent iteration of Garmin's flagship Fenix outdoor watch brings a potentially lifesaving feature: no-phone communication and SOS alerts via 4G LTE or orbital connections.
This Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the previously impressive Fenix 8 by adding new cellular technology, along with an available advanced microLED screen in a special edition. It is Garmin's premier device and engineered to be the only gadget required to venture almost anywhere and track all your movements.
This makes it an extremely pricey proposition, priced from £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED version and reaching a colossal £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm edition with microLED display – almost double the cost of the standard Fenix 8.
You do receive a lot of features for your money, with best-in-class workout, movement and outdoor tracking. Its full offline maps of the world can automatically direct you back to the path if you get lost absent a phone, and look excellent on the sizable, sharp and high-luminance touchscreen.
The Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively offered in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, omitting the more compact 43mm version found in other models, so it is a large watch for larger wrists. However the 47mm OLED model as tested does have an additional day of smartwatch battery life despite the screen always active, lasting a reliable eight to nine days between charging.
No-Phone Texting, Calls and Real-Time Location
Garmin operates its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and satellite service plan instead of depending on a watch plan tied to your phone provider, like other smartwatches. 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 provides limitless LTE SMS and audio messaging, calls and LiveTrack position tracking – so your contacts or family can keep an eye on you while engaged in jogging, cycling or comparable activities – plus emergency satellite SOS alerts.
Check-ins and messages via satellite are then charged additionally, with higher-tier subscriptions including various allowances of satellite use, increasing to a £50 a month all-inclusive plan. The watch comes with a 30-day trial period so you can test out the service.
After you have completed setup, you just head out the door minus your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You cannot use it for streaming music or similar tasks, but you are able to make and take calls, dispatch texts and generally keep in touch with your family and friends.
When you text someone, Garmin sends them an SMS from a arbitrary phone number, which they can respond to back to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger application, you can then message reciprocally via text or voice messages, and initiate voice calls. Your contact does not need a Garmin profile to use the Messenger app, just a mobile number is sufficient to register for texts.
Messaging on the watch functions adequately but composing texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is slow. It includes a collection of customisable pre-set replies you can send to speed things up. Spoken recordings and calls perform OK, though as with most wearables, you’re not going to wish to use it for extended discussions as the audio clarity is less than fantastic.
LiveTrack is the most useful function. You can set it up to on its own send a link to selected contacts every time you begin an activity, so they can follow your real time location on a map. It’s great for monitoring competition progress, but it mostly serves as a utility for someone you trust to be aware of your location in case something happens. It has typically worked effectively, though the real location has occasionally lagged when transitioning in and out of strong LTE signal.
These capabilities are accessible on other Garmin watches if you bring your phone with you, but in locations where LTE does not reach, the orbital activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, location updates and SOS SOS.
A on-screen assistance displays you how to find the line of sight 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 lifeline, however it is essential to remember that satellite coverage is limited to the US continent, most of Canada, and the majority of Europe except for regions of Scandinavia above 65 degrees north.
Sustainability
The watch is typically serviceable with services offered through the support site. The battery is certified to maintain at least 90% of its original power after two years of weekly charging. The watch does not contain any reused materials. Garmin offers disposal schemes on recent purchases.
Price
The Fenix 8 Pro is priced from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The optional Garmin inReach service plans begin from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Verdict
The Fenix 8 Pro builds on a excellent adventure watch in the standard Fenix 8 and adds LTE for messaging, calls and LiveTrack – along with orbital messaging, location update and emergency SOS for when you’re without signal.
Outcome is an increasingly remarkable outdoor tool for those that want to be phone-free. If you wish to have someone monitor you remotely while exercising after dark or in the remote areas, the Garmin does so without requiring anything else.
It is quite liberating to be outdoors without a phone, but that functionality carries quite a cost, 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 carrier so works with all make of smartphone and carrier.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier gadget for someone who dislikes being weighed down by their phone when jogging, biking or trekking, but nevertheless desires to be trackable and reachable. For everyone else, it is a lot of money when the superb Fenix 8 already exists.
Pros: LTE and satellite messaging, super-bright OLED display, tracks everything with premier GPS, built-in torch, voice and offline voice control, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, full offline maps and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre underwater use, buttons and touchscreen.
Drawbacks: extremely costly, LTE and satellite functions need ongoing subscription, restricted Garmin Pay financial support, speech features are sluggish, basic wearable functionality versus competing watches.
