This newest iteration of Garmin's top-tier Fenix adventure watch includes a potentially lifesaving capability: no-phone messaging and SOS messaging using 4G LTE or satellite links.
This Fenix 8 Pro builds upon the already outstanding Fenix 8 by adding cutting-edge mobile tech, plus an available advanced microLED screen in a special edition. This is the brand's premier model and designed to be the only tool needed to venture virtually anywhere and monitor all your movements.
That makes it an very expensive proposition, starting at £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 standard Fenix 8.
You do get a lot of features for your investment, with best-in-class workout, movement and outdoor tracking. Its full offline mapping of the globe can seamlessly direct you back to the trail if you lose your way absent a phone, and look excellent on the sizable, sharp and high-luminance display.
This Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively offered in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, omitting the more compact 43mm version available in other devices, so it is a big watch for larger wrists. However the 47mm OLED model as reviewed does have an extra day of watch battery life even with the screen always active, enduring a solid eight to nine days between charges.
No-Phone Messaging, Calls and Real-Time Location
The company uses its own inReach LTE (4G) and satellite subscription plan instead of depending on a watch plan tied to your phone provider, like other smartwatches. However in contrast to Apple or Google's satellite-enabled devices, emergency messaging is not included for no cost.
Rather, subscriptions start at £7.99 or equivalent a month, which includes limitless LTE SMS and audio messaging, calls and LiveTrack position sharing – so your contacts or family can keep an eye on you while out running, biking or comparable activities – plus SOS satellite SOS alerts.
Check-ins and messages over satellite are then charged additionally, with more expensive plans offering various quotas of satellite use, climbing to a £50 a month all-inclusive plan. The watch includes a 30-day free trial so you can evaluate the service.
Once you have got it set up, you just head out the door without your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You can not use it for streaming music or similar activities, but you can place and receive calls, dispatch texts and generally stay connected with your relatives and companions.
When you message someone, Garmin sends them an SMS from a arbitrary number, which they can respond to back to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger application, you can then communicate reciprocally using text or voice messages, and initiate voice calls. Your contact does not need a Garmin account to use the Messenger app, only a mobile number is enough to sign up for texts.
Texting on the watch functions fine but typing out texts on the small on-screen keyboard is slow. It includes a collection of customisable canned responses you can send to expedite communication. Spoken messages and calls perform OK, though as with the majority of smartwatches, you’re unlikely going to wish to use it for lengthy conversations as the quality is less than ideal.
LiveTrack is the handiest feature. You can configure to automatically send a link to chosen contacts every time you start an exercise, so they can track your live location on a map. It’s great for following race progress, but it primarily acts as a utility for someone you trust to know your location in case something happens. It has typically worked well, though the real position has sometimes been delayed when transitioning in and out of good LTE signal.
These capabilities are available on other Garmin devices if you bring your phone with you, but in areas where LTE lacks coverage, the satellite activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, position check-ins and SOS SOS.
A guide shows 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 unexpectedly straightforward to use and could be a vital lifeline, however it is essential to note that orbital coverage is limited to the US mainland, the majority of Canada, and the majority of Europe except for parts of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees north.
Sustainability
The watch is generally repairable with options offered via the support portal. The battery is rated to maintain at least 90% of its initial power after two years of weekly charging. The watch lacks any reused materials. Garmin provides recycling schemes on new purchases.
Price
This Fenix 8 Pro is priced from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The optional Garmin inReach service packages cost from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Conclusion
The Fenix 8 Pro takes a excellent adventure watch in the regular Fenix 8 and adds LTE for texting, calls and LiveTrack – plus orbital messaging, check-in and emergency SOS for when you’re out of signal.
The result is an increasingly remarkable adventure device for those that desire to be unplugged. If you wish to have someone monitor you from afar while exercising after dark or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin does so without needing additional gear.
It is quite freeing to be outside without a phone, but that functionality comes at a significant cost, both in terms of the colossal price of the watch and the recurring subscription of the inReach plan to provide the features. At least it isn’t dependent on your phone provider so functions with all make of smartphone and carrier.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a killer gadget for someone who dislikes being weighed down by their phone when running, cycling or trekking, but still wants to be locatable and reachable. For other users, it is a significant expense when the excellent Fenix 8 already exists.
Advantages: LTE and satellite messaging, high-luminance OLED screen, tracks everything with premier GPS, integrated flashlight, phone and offline commands, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, full offline mapping and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre diving, physical controls and touchscreen.
Cons: very costly, LTE and orbital functions need ongoing payment, restricted Garmin Pay financial compatibility, speech features are slow, basic wearable features versus competing watches.
