The latest model of Garmin's flagship Fenix adventure watch introduces a life-saving feature: no-phone messaging and emergency alerts via 4G LTE or orbital links.
This Fenix 8 Pro enhances the already impressive Fenix 8 by adding cutting-edge mobile technology, plus an available advanced microLED screen in a limited edition. It is the brand's top device and engineered to be the only gadget required to venture almost anywhere and track all your movements.
This positions it as an very pricey option, priced from £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED version and climbing to a substantial £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm edition with microLED screen – nearly twice the price of the standard Fenix 8.
Users receive a lot of features for your money, with best-in-class workout, activity and outdoor monitoring. The complete offline mapping of the globe can seamlessly guide you back to the path if you lose your way 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 sizes, omitting the smaller 43mm size available in other models, so it is a big watch for bigger wrists. But the 47mm OLED model as tested boasts an additional day of watch battery life despite the screen always active, enduring a reliable eight to nine days between charging.
Phone-Free Texting, Calls and Live Tracking
Garmin operates its own inReach LTE (4G) and orbital service plan instead of depending on a watch plan tied to your phone carrier, as with other smartwatches. However in contrast to competing satellite-enabled devices, SOS communication is not provided for free.
Rather, plans begin from £7.99 or similar a month, which provides unlimited LTE text and voice messages, calls and LiveTrack location sharing – so your friends or family can monitor you while engaged in jogging, cycling or comparable activities – plus emergency satellite SOS messaging.
Check-ins and messages over orbital are then billed on top, with more expensive subscriptions offering different allowances of orbital usage, climbing to a £50 a month all-inclusive plan. The watch comes with a 30-day free trial so you can evaluate the service.
Once you have completed setup, you just venture outside minus your phone and the watch will link to LTE. You can not use it for playing music or similar activities, but you can place and receive calls, dispatch texts and generally stay connected with your relatives and friends.
When you message someone, Garmin sends them an SMS from a arbitrary phone number, which they can respond to back to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger application, you can then message reciprocally via text or spoken messages, and make voice calls. Your contact does not need a Garmin profile to use the Messenger application, just a phone number is enough to register for texts.
Messaging on the watch works adequately but composing texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is slow. It has a set of customisable pre-set responses you can use to expedite communication. Spoken messages and calls work acceptably, though as with most smartwatches, you’re not going to want to use it for extended discussions as the quality is less than ideal.
LiveTrack is the most useful function. You can configure to on its own send a link to selected contacts every time you start an exercise, so they can track your real time location on a map. It’s excellent for monitoring competition progress, but it primarily acts as a tool for someone you trust to know your location in case an incident occurs. It has generally worked well, though the actual location has sometimes lagged when transitioning in and out of good LTE coverage.
These capabilities are accessible on other Garmin devices if you carry your phone with you, but in locations where LTE does not reach, the satellite activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, position updates and SOS SOS.
A guide displays you how to locate the line of sight to the satellite, which then sends and receives communications within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was surprisingly easy to use and could be a crucial lifeline, though it is essential to remember that satellite service is limited to the US continent, the majority of Canada, and the majority of Europe except for parts of Scandinavia above 65 degrees latitude.
Sustainability
The watch is generally serviceable with options available via the customer service site. The battery is rated to retain at least 90% of its initial power after two years of regular charging. The watch does not contain any recycled materials. Garmin provides disposal schemes on recent purchases.
Price
This Fenix 8 Pro is priced from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The additional Garmin inReach service plans cost from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Conclusion
This Fenix 8 Pro builds on a fantastic outdoor watch in the regular Fenix 8 and adds LTE for texting, calls and LiveTrack – along with satellite communication, location update and SOS SOS for when you’re without signal.
The result is an increasingly remarkable adventure device for those that want to be unplugged. If you wish to have someone monitor you remotely while exercising out at night or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin accomplishes this without requiring additional gear.
It is quite liberating to be outdoors without a phone, but that functionality comes at quite a price, both in terms of the substantial cost of the watch and the monthly subscription of the inReach plan to enable the features. At least it is not dependent on your phone carrier so works with all brand of smartphone and carrier.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier gadget for someone who dislikes being weighed down by their phone when running, biking or hiking, but still desires to be trackable and reachable. For other users, it is a significant expense when the superb Fenix 8 already exists.
Advantages: LTE and satellite communication, high-luminance OLED screen, monitors all activities with premier GPS, built-in flashlight, phone and offline commands, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, complete offline mapping and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre underwater use, buttons and touch.
Drawbacks: very expensive, LTE and satellite functions require ongoing payment, limited Garmin Pay financial compatibility, speech features are slow, limited wearable functionality versus Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
