The latest model of Garmin's premium Fenix outdoor timepiece brings a potentially lifesaving capability: phone-free messaging and SOS messaging using 4G LTE or satellite connections.
This Fenix 8 Pro builds upon the already outstanding Fenix 8 by incorporating cutting-edge cellular technology, along with an optional advanced microLED display in a limited edition. This is the brand's top device and engineered to be the only gadget required to venture virtually anywhere and track all your movements.
This makes it an extremely pricey option, priced from £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED model and reaching a colossal £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm edition with microLED display – nearly twice the cost of the standard Fenix 8.
Users receive a lot of functionality for your investment, with best-in-class workout, activity and adventure tracking. Its full offline maps of the globe can automatically direct you back to the trail if you get lost without a phone, and look great on the large, sharp and high-luminance display.
This Fenix 8 Pro is only available in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, not the smaller 43mm size available in other devices, so it is a large watch for larger wrists. But the 47mm OLED version as tested does have an additional day of smartwatch battery life even with the screen on all the time, enduring a solid eight to nine days between charges.
Phone-Free Texting, Calls and Live Tracking
Garmin uses its own inReach LTE (4G) and satellite service plan instead of depending on a watch plan tied to your mobile provider, like other wearables. But in contrast to competing satellite-enabled products, emergency communication is not provided for free.
Instead, plans start at £7.99 or similar a month, which provides unlimited LTE text and voice messages, call functionality and LiveTrack location sharing – so your contacts or loved ones can monitor you while engaged in jogging, cycling or similar pursuits – plus emergency orbital SOS alerts.
Check-ins and messages over satellite are then billed additionally, with higher-tier subscriptions offering different allowances of satellite use, increasing to a £50 a month all-inclusive subscription. The watch comes with a 30-day trial period so you can test out the functionality.
After you have got it set up, you simply head out the door minus your phone and the watch will link to LTE. You cannot use it for streaming music or comparable activities, but you are able to place and receive calls, dispatch texts and overall keep in touch with your family and friends.
When you message someone, Garmin sends them an SMS from a arbitrary number, which they can respond to directly to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger app, you can then message back and forth using text or voice communications, 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 collection of customisable pre-set replies you can use to expedite communication. Voice recordings and calls perform OK, though as with the majority of wearables, you’re not going to wish to use it for extended conversations as the quality is not fantastic.
LiveTrack is the most useful feature. You can configure to on its own send a URL to chosen contacts whenever you begin an exercise, so they can follow your real time position on a map. It’s great for following competition performance, but it mostly serves as a utility for someone you rely on to be aware of your location in case something happens. It has generally worked well, although the real position has occasionally lagged when moving in and out of strong LTE coverage.
These capabilities are available on other Garmin watches if you bring your phone with you, but in areas where LTE lacks coverage, the satellite kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, location check-ins and SOS SOS.
A guide displays you how to locate the clear view to the satellite, which then transmits and gets messages within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was surprisingly straightforward to use and could be a crucial safety feature, however it is important to remember that orbital service is restricted to the US continent, the majority 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 customer service portal. The battery is certified 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 disposal 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 optional Garmin inReach service packages begin from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Conclusion
The Fenix 8 Pro builds on a fantastic adventure watch in the standard Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for messaging, call functionality and LiveTrack – plus orbital messaging, location update and emergency SOS for when you’re out of signal.
The result is an even more remarkable adventure device for those that desire to be phone-free. If you wish to have someone monitor you from afar while running after dark or in the remote areas, the Garmin does so without requiring anything else.
This is quite liberating to be outside without a phone, but that capability comes at quite a price, both in terms of the substantial cost of the watch and the monthly fee of the inReach service to provide the features. Fortunately it isn’t reliant on your phone carrier so works with all make of smartphone and network.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a killer gadget for someone who hates being burdened by their phone when running, cycling or hiking, but nevertheless desires to be trackable and contactable. For everyone else, it is a significant money when the excellent Fenix 8 is already available.
Advantages: LTE and orbital messaging, high-luminance OLED screen, monitors everything with best-in-class GPS, integrated torch, voice and standalone voice control, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, full offline maps and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre underwater use, physical controls and touch.
Drawbacks: very expensive, LTE and orbital features require ongoing subscription, restricted Garmin Pay bank compatibility, voice features are slow, basic smartwatch features compared with Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
