The newest iteration of Garmin's premium Fenix outdoor watch introduces a life-saving capability: no-phone communication and emergency alerts using 4G LTE or satellite links.
This Fenix 8 Pro enhances the previously impressive Fenix 8 by incorporating cutting-edge cellular technology, plus an available advanced microLED screen in a special edition. This is the brand's top device and designed to be the only tool required to venture virtually anywhere and monitor all your movements.
This makes it an extremely pricey proposition, starting at £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED version and climbing to a colossal £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm edition with microLED display – nearly double the price of the regular Fenix 8.
You do receive a lot of functionality for your investment, with best-in-class workout, activity and adventure monitoring. The full offline mapping of the world can seamlessly direct you return to the trail if you get lost absent a phone, and appear excellent on the sizable, crisp and high-luminance touchscreen.
This Fenix 8 Pro is only available in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, not the smaller 43mm version found in other devices, so it is a large watch for larger wrists. However the 47mm OLED version as reviewed does have an additional day of watch battery life even with the display on all the time, enduring a solid eight to nine days between charging.
Phone-Free Texting, Calling and Real-Time Location
The company uses its own inReach LTE (4G) and orbital service service instead of relying on a watch plan tied to your mobile carrier, like other wearables. However unlike competing satellite-capable devices, emergency communication is not provided for free.
Rather, subscriptions begin from £7.99 or equivalent a month, which includes limitless LTE text and audio messages, calls and LiveTrack position tracking – so your contacts or loved ones can keep an eye on you while out running, biking or similar activities – plus emergency satellite SOS messaging.
Check-ins and messages via orbital are then charged on top, with higher-tier plans including various quotas of orbital use, increasing to a £50 a month all-inclusive plan. The watch comes with a 30-day free trial so you can evaluate the functionality.
After you have completed setup, you just venture the door without your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You can not use it for playing 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.
Whenever you text someone, Garmin sends them an SMS from a random phone number, which they can reply to back to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger application, you can then communicate back and forth via typed or spoken messages, and initiate voice calls. Your recipient is not required to have a Garmin account to use the Messenger application, only a phone number is sufficient to sign up for texts.
Texting on the watch works fine but typing out texts on the small on-screen keyboard is slow. It includes a set of personalizable canned responses you can use to speed things up. Spoken recordings and calls work OK, although as with the majority of smartwatches, you’re unlikely going to want to use it for lengthy conversations as the audio clarity is less than ideal.
LiveTrack is the handiest feature. You can set it up to on its own send a link to selected contacts whenever you start an activity, so they can follow your real time location on a map. It’s excellent for monitoring competition progress, but it mostly acts as a tool for someone you trust to know your location in case something happens. It has typically functioned well, though the real location has sometimes been delayed when transitioning in and out of strong LTE signal.
These features are accessible on other Garmin devices if you carry your phone with you, but in locations where LTE lacks coverage, the orbital activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, position check-ins and SOS SOS.
A on-screen assistance shows you how to find the line of sight to the orbital system, which then sends and receives messages within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was unexpectedly straightforward to use and could be a vital lifeline, however it is important to remember that orbital service is restricted to the US mainland, most of Canada, and most of Europe except for regions of Scandinavia above 65 degrees latitude.
Sustainability
The watch is typically serviceable with services offered through the support site. The battery is rated to retain at least 90% of its original capacity after two years of regular charging. The watch does not contain any recycled components. 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 subscription packages cost from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Conclusion
The Fenix 8 Pro builds on a excellent adventure watch in the regular Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for texting, calls and LiveTrack – plus orbital messaging, location update and SOS SOS for when you’re without coverage.
Outcome is an even more impressive outdoor tool for those that desire to be unplugged. If you wish to have someone keep an eye on you remotely while exercising after dark or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin does so without needing anything else.
This is very freeing to be outdoors without a phone, but that functionality comes at quite a cost, both in terms of the colossal cost of the watch and the monthly subscription of the inReach plan to enable the service. Fortunately it isn’t dependent on your phone provider so functions with any brand of smartphone and carrier.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier device for someone who dislikes being burdened by their phone when jogging, cycling or trekking, but still wants to be locatable and contactable. For everyone else, it is a lot of money when the superb Fenix 8 already exists.
Pros: LTE and orbital communication, high-luminance OLED display, monitors all activities with premier GPS, built-in flashlight, voice and standalone commands, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, full offline mapping and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre diving, buttons and touch.
Cons: extremely expensive, LTE and orbital features require monthly payment, limited Garmin Pay financial support, speech features are sluggish, limited wearable functionality versus competing watches.
